


Absolve

by BabyWithWings



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Adoption, Boys In Love, Fluff, Gay, Gay Male Character, Gay Sex, Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, Love, M/M, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Smut, Space Flight, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-12 01:35:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 40,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12948468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyWithWings/pseuds/BabyWithWings
Summary: Three years ago, Alexandra Jane Withers’ memorial still stood as the angriest Dib Membrana has ever been. Now eighteen years old, Dib, Zim, and the teams have spent two years in space, searching the galaxy for allies, finding ways to stall the Massive, and figuring out ways to ultimately win. Dib is still hopeful. Zim, however, is faced with the toughest decision of his life, and he isn’t sure if he ever has made the right decision. Learning to balance love, work, and mental stability, Zim must absolve for what he has done in the past, and clean up the mess he left behind.





	1. Chapter 1

_ March 30, 2019 _

 

Dib Membrane was officially eighteen years old. It seemed like just a few weeks ago that he was turning seventeen. He supposed time did move faster in space. Dib woke to his boyfriend poking at his cheek, whispering for him to get up, that he had a surprise. Dib stirred awake, sleepy golden meeting energetic fuchsia. 

“Mmn..?” He asked softly, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, reaching for his glasses. Zim sat straddling him, facing him. Zim wore one of Dib’s grey t-shirts and leggings, whereas Dib wore only pajama pants. Dib felt at the place where his glasses would have been, frowning a little when they weren’t there. He felt Zim grab his jaw when he turned his head to look at him, and he turned his attention back to the tiny, eager alien. Zim put his glasses on him, and Dib chuckled, wrapping his arms around Zim, attempting to lean forward and kiss him when Zim placed a finger over his longing lips.

“You need to do the brushing of oral bones ritual before that mouth touches mine,” Zim said with a teasing grin. Dib pouted against the finger.

“But it’s my birthday,” He said, attempting to persuade him.

“Yes, I am fully aware it is the anniversary of your escape from the third trimester after conception,” Zim hummed. “But your breath smells putrid. I’m not tasting it.” Dib laughed softly. 

“What did you need, Zim?” He asked, nuzzling his cheek. Zim chirred softly, tilting his head a little.

“We are nearing that,” He said softly. “But I wanted a few moments alone with you before the team came in and took you away for day of birth festivities. You are  _ my _ courtship partner, after all.” Dib rolled his eyes softly. Zim always had problems with possessiveness. Though at times it was cute, sometimes even a turn-on (though they had never done something like  _ that _ before), mostly it was a pesterance.

“Yes, I am yours. Completely and utterly, forever and always,” He murmured, kissing at his temple and cheek. “No matter what.” Zim smiled and nuzzled Dib’s neck. 

“Go do your stupid morning ritual,” He said. “I want to kiss you.” Zim shifted off of Dib’s lap and he went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and shave. After Zim and Dib became an official couple, the team had put in a good word to give Dib and Zim their own room. Dib remembered after the first night that Milano had come up to him and asked how the first night was, rather suggestively. And though the night had been nice, with kisses (some brief, some intense), it had been uneventful. Milano went with it, even if he didn’t quite believe that to be true. Dib put on his aftershave, holding off a wince at the sting, but with fresh breath and a clean face, he went back to Zim. He kissed him deeply, happily, and the Irken cupped his cheeks. He pulled back after a moment to nuzzle his cheek. Standing back up, dib began to get dressed and ready for the day.

Zim hated that. Dib would always do his morning routine and then show him affections for a short amount of time before leaving him to get dressed and go to breakfast. Sometimes he just wanted to lock the door and have him to himself for a day. But, begrudgingly, he followed after Dib’s actions and did the same. He put on his own uniform, unbeknownst to him of the pair of eyes on him. They walked out after they were both ready, Dib immediately getting bombarded with Happy Birthday wishes. He thanked them, sitting down at his assigned table.

“Happy Birthday, Dibble,” Dennis said, ruffling his hair and sitting beside him. “Old enough to smoke. But if you do, I’ll beat you.”

“I know, I know,” Dib chuckled, he said, beginning to eat the breakfast that Brian had gotten him. Ferran, who made sure Zim was out getting his food, grinned as she leaned over to Dib.

“Also old enough to legally do the nasty,” She said with a teasing grin. Dib turned red.

“Ferran!” He chided, voice in a whisper, as if DIrector Greenwell was standing right behind him.

“What? It’s true!” She giggled. “Think you’re gonna do  _ it _ ?” 

“Jesucristo-” Dib said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t really see how it’s your business.” He was still bright red.

“We just want you to be ready, kid,” Dennis said, clapping a hand on his back. “I don’t know if Zim can get pregnant, but we gotta be careful, right?” Dib groaned, smacking the palm of his hand against his forehead. 

“They  _ clone _ , Dennis!”

“Who clones?” 

Milano had walked over to join the conversation.

“Irkens, apparently,” Ferran chimed.

“Not surprising. I mean, from what we can tell, they are all pretty the same. Zim’s the exception.”

“Do you agree that Dib needs to be prepared for tonight’s possible festivities with his starshine?” Dennis asked.

“Why me?” Dib asked. “What if  _ Zim  _ needs to be prep-” He cut himself off as Ferran began to laugh.

“Dib-” She started when Dib put jerky in her mouth.

“Don’t you fucking say it,” He said, eyebrow raised. She laughed around it and ate the jerky.

Zim came back over and they settled down as he sat beside Dib. 

“Why are you red, Dib-human?” Zim asked.

“It’s not important,” Dib grumbled, sipping his water. Zim looked to the others, most feigning innocence, Ferran still in a laughing heap. “It’s not that funny, Ferran!” Dib turned a darker shade.

“You’re right, it’s fucking  _ hilarious _ -” She said, wiping away a tear. Dib huffed and finished up his breakfast, then finished off his water and started on his coffee. Slowly, Ferran came down from her laughter, but was still beaming with happiness. “But you are excited for your eighteenth birthday, right?” She asked. “We’re gonna be touching down on Ollion!” 

“Really, Ferran?” The group groaned. 

“It astounds me how a decorated officer can’t even keep a day of birth celebration surprise a secret,” Zim said, eating his jello. “You do nothing but blab!”

“The alien’s got a point,” Saadiya said from the end of the table, who was currently reading with a playful grin playing at her lips as she looked over the top of the book.

“Sorry,” Ferran said unapologetically, winking at Dib, who smiled. She knew he hated surprises, and she needed to make up the last few moments to him, it was least she could do. 

Zim finished his meal and leaned against the human, who swallowed down his coffee to kiss the top of his head. Zim’s antennae curled to make room for Dib’s head as he rested it on Zim’s.

“I meant what I said about the smoking, though,” Dennis said, taking a bite of his oatmeal. “I’ll beat you if I catch you smoking.” 

“Yes, Sir,” Dib chuckled. “I don’t want to smoke, anyways. And I don’t think Zim would let me if he knew what it did.”

“I know what it does to a human,” Zim said. “Why do you think I’m not objecting to the Dennis beating you?” The table chuckled. 

“I’ll count on you to look after my health,” Dib hummed, leaning down to peck his lips softly. 

“You count on the guy that just ate jello for breakfast to look after your health?” Brian asked from across the table, eyebrow raised. 

“For your  _ information _ , Brian-human, I know everything there is to know about the human biology!”

“That’s a relief,” Ferran muttered, a grin playing at her lips once more.

“Now we only have to worry about Dib doing  _ his  _ job,” Dennis finished for her, and they high-fived with a laugh.

“For fuck’s sake,” Dib cursed, sighing.

“Language,” Saadiya said without missing a beat, turning the page.

“Sorry,” Dib apologized, finishing his coffee, then going to put his dishes in a dirty dish bin. 

The ship they were on housed fourteen squadrons, a twin ship trailing behind them with a larger amount. They would be taking the spare pod to Ollion later that evening. It was really thanks to Zim that all of it was up and running, with his extended knowledge in engineering and how to find materials they didn’t have. He just taught the other engineers and they had two up in no time. He had collaborated with Greenwell to make a flight plan that would lead them to planets that would give them supplies, and that was safe for humans to be on. And still, Zim said he didn’t do much to help the cause. Dib always called bullshit.

 

Training that day was easier, due to it being a special occasion, but still a challenge. Saadiya always participated to make sure that what she was doing was fair, but never once has she called off an obstacle. Saadiya always had an undying trust in her team, one that was definitely needed in the times to come. She knew that they could do it if she could, and it was because of her that their squadron was the best of the best. Another thing that made her a wonderful captain was how much she believed and cared for each of them. She always set aside time to make sure they could talk to their families or to attend to religious practices. Dib considered his team especially lucky to have a leader who cared about them.

As they planked, Zim and Dib watched as Ferran reached over and flicked Dennis’ ear. He smacked her hand softly, and she did it again. They adjusted to side-planks and Dennis reached over to flick her ear.

“Ow! The hell?!” Ferran cursed.

“Are you two quite finished acting like children?” Saadiya asked.

“She started it!”

“Nu-uh!”

“Oh, so it’s okay for Ferran to curse, but not me?” Dib asked. 

“Don’t you start, birthday boy.”

Dib huffed. What were these double standards? They shifted into back-planks. Brian flicks Dennis’ ear.

“You wanna try me too, Momma’s boy?” Dennis said. “I will throw down with you, right now.”

“Dennis,” Saadiya said, warning in her tone.

“Boss, they keep flicking my ears!”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t look like friggin’ dumbo!” She fired back. “Now if you don’t grow up, you’ll be running laps around the mess hall!”

“Yes Ma’am,” Everyone murmured. They turned into side-planks, and Saadiya reached over and flicked his ear.

“Really?! I expected it from Zim, not you!”

“Why did you expect it from Zim?!” Zim interjected. “I’m on the other side of the room!”

“Settle down,” Saadiya chuckled.

“What kind of betrayal…” Dennis said, feigning hurt.

“You’re one to talk,” Zim said sharply. The room burst into laughter.

“Alright, I’ll be nice, that’s all for today,” She said, and they all got up. Dib kissed Zim’s forehead. “Shower and change into something nice, we hit the pod in thirty.” The squadron saluted to Saadiya before retreating to their rooms. 

 

Everyone wore their casual clothes, with Dib was almost surprised to see. Brian wore a white v-neck and a pair on black skinny jeans with converse and a Yankees hoodie. Dennis was wearing a navy blue button down with the cuffs cuffed to his elbows, dog tags around his neck, black slacks and nice dress shoes. Ferran wore a yellow t-shirt that read “Don’t worry, be happy!” and overalls that were cuffed on the bottom with pale blue converse. Saadiya wore a grey hijab, her makeup done beautifully with a maroon long-sleeve jumpsuit and black flats. Milano wore a green tee with black jeans and reeboks. Zim wore a deep purple tunic and black leggings with boots, wearing his human disguise as to not be discovered as an Irken. Dib wore a blue v-neck and black jeans, black boots, and his black coat. It almost felt like he was back on Earth. They walked into the pod, sat down and strapped in for the ride.

 

The parked in a landing port on the planet. The got out and walked onto the planet, laughing and sticking near each other. Dib was holding Zim’s hand, and he squeezed it softly. Zim squeezed back. No one seemed to notice Zim as they walked into a bar. Dib was tall and buff, no one dared question his presence in the bar. Zim ordered something for everyone, Saadiya just having what looked like club soda, but tasted a little sour. Dib got what tasted like a martini but looked like a shirley temple, Dennis got a glass of the messy love-child of vodka and tequila, Ferran got water, and Briand got what tasted like a jolly rancher but way spiked. Zim sipped on a lime-grape flavored orange drink, and they all toasted to Dib and his eighteenth birthday.

 

Three hours and multiple drinks, toasts, and dances later, the team stumbled out of the bar. Saadiya hadn’t had anything alcoholic, considering she was driving them all back home. Brian had Dennis’ arm around his shoulder, both rather inebriated, Brian the worst of them all. Milano was intoxicated, but was able to hold his alcohol quite well. Ferran had watched her drinks and switched to what Saadiya was having, as to not have a hangover the next day, and Dib was holding onto Zim, both starting to get a little frisky.

“Save it for later,” Saadiya told the pair, and they backed off, grinning. 

“Hell yeah they will!” Dennis interjected.

“Dennis, stop-” Dib groaned, cheeks red.

“Dudes,” Brain said, sagging under the weight of Dennis’ arm. “I’m fucking hungry… anyone down for food?” The team cheered in agreement. Zim led them to a tiny restaurant that almost looked like a fast food joint. Dib was reminded of Foodcourtia, and he frowned deeply.

“What’s with the face, birthday boy?” Milano asked.

“Bad memories with intergalactic fast food.”

“How could  _ you _ have bad memories with  _ intergalactic _ fast food?” Ferren asked.

“I’ve gone to space before,” Dib said, face brightening. “Did I never tell you that?” The group shook their heads. “Well, when I was thirteen or so, another Irken came to hurt Zim and take over his job. Her name was Tak. Tak ended up losing her ship, and I found it and became the sole user of that ship. I used to go to space all the time! Mostly because I was following that guy-” He pointed at Zim. “-but I’ve seen enough of it. There is a planet called Foodcourtia-”

“I call bullshit,” Milano said.

“No, the Dib thing is truthful,” Zim said. “I was exiled to Foodcourtia.”

“Exiled?” Saadiya asked.

“Yes, and then I was kidnapped by the owner of the store I worked at and was dragged back there after almost an entire human year of not working there.”

“Bad memories of intergalactic fast food,” Dib repeated, wrapping an arm around Zim.

“We’ll kick his ass, Zim,” Ferran said, suddenly very angry. “We’ll find him and kick his ass! Only we are allowed to bother you!”

“No, it’s quite alright,” Zim said. “I would prefer not to see him at all, even if to… kick his ass, as you say.” Dennis chuckled.

“We love you, little dude.” Zim smiled and ordered for everyone. Dib and Zim shared was looked like churro-bites, Saadiya (after telling Zim she she wanted something that didn’t have any kind of meat) got chili fries.

“You’d be surprised how many things that you thought came from your planet, didn’t,” Zim explained when they all looked surprised.

Milano got a burger with some kind of alien meat that, after careful inspection on Zim’s part, was deemed safe for humans to eat. Dennis and Brian shared what looked like a trough of fries, and Ferran got tacos. They sat down and ate quietly, thanking Zim for ordering and paying. Zim just smiled and looked to Dib. He squeezed Dib’s hand. Dib squeezed back happily.

 

They walked back to the pod, getting one more drink on the way, and everyone (except Saadiya) was extremely intoxicated. Saadiya managed to herd everyone into the pod as they laughed themselves into hysterics, and she buckled everyone up, after physically detaching Dib from Zim. She swore that sometimes they were determined to fuse together like Steven Universe.

When they got back to the ship, Dib and Zim stumbled off to their bedroom, getting away from the rest of the team. The second they were out of sight, Zim's mouth latched on Dib's heatedly, and Dib’s hands grabbed at Zim desperately. They got into the bedroom and closed (and locked) the door. Zim pressed Dib against the bed and pinned his wrists down, kissing and biting at Dib’s neck. Dib winced at the sharp teeth but went limp under Zim, tilting his head to the side and letting Zim mark him. He pulled back to kiss Dib once more. Pulling back and pressing his forehead to Dib’s, who looked up at him wantonly, Zim smirked.

“Happy Birthday, Dib. Now turn around.” Dib followed the order once Zim released him. Zim pulled off his shirt and boots, guiding Dib up onto his hands and knees. Dib was red in the face, but eager to please.Zim pulled Dib’s shirt of, trailing his finger down the depression in the middle of his back where his spine lay. He watched in fascination as the muscles in Dib’s back flexed and twitched under his hand. 

Zim watched goosebumps rise, and he smirked softly before pulling down Dib's jeans and boxers in one sharp pull. Dib’s breath hitched, not daring to look behind him when Zim pulled off his own leggings. He felt Zim’s hands on his waist, and a gentle kiss on his lower back until he felt something dull press against him. It was cool, and Dib almost turned around to make sure it was Zim, but it was pushed in smoothly and he could feel Zims wide hips against his lower half. A moan spilled from Dibs mouth and his arms collapsed so that he was on his elbows. It was thick, and smooth, it was the lubrication that was cold (though, Dib didn't hear a bottle open).

Slowly, Zim rocked into him with a soft moan. The Dib was tight and hot, and if the noises he made were true, then Dib was enjoying this just as much. He moved slow at first for the Dib to get used to the feeling, when Zim noticed Dib was rocking back to meet him. Perhaps the humans aren't as fragile as Zim thought. He gripped Dib’s waist, moving faster, harder, grunting and groaning, Dib’s own noises following soon after. Dib's heart soared through it all, the grunts and groans and whispers of more, heart racing, fingers grabbing at the bedsheets, skin, sweat, this moment has been three years in the making, the explosion of passion both desperately needed.

“Zim,” Dib moaned, panting softly in his needy haze. “Oh, Zim- Zim!” He cried out suddenly, back arching as orgasm fell through him like a tsunami. With the rough thrusts, Zim fell after him quickly, hissing out something in Irken, finishing deep inside Dib. The fluid was cold like the lubrication, and Dib hung his head as Zim gently pulled out. Dib lay spent as Zim gently turned him over. That look was on his face again. Zim grinned as he got under the covers with Dib. 

“I always knew I'd get you to look like that,” Zim hummed, wrapping his arms around him.

“Ecstasy,” Dib finished for him, cuddling into him. Zim kissed the top of his head and his cheeks and lips. 

“Zim loves you.”

“Dib loves Zim too.” Zim smiled softly.

“Happy birthday,” He whispered, pecking his lips once more.

Slowly, the two fell asleep in each others embrace, content.

 

_ “Are you sure?” Red asked urgently. _

_ “The information came straight from Ally 117, my Tallests,” A small Irken Technician told them. “The Humans have sided with Invader Zim, and they are planning an attack.” _

_ “That's not all, is it?” Purple interjected. _

_ “No, my Tallests… Invader Zim has courted a mate. A human by the name Dibble Membrana.” _

_ “I always knew he was a weakling!” Purple shouted, but quieted when Red motioned for him to stop. _

_ “Zim has always been one of sentiment. So, we play it by those… primitive rules. Kill Dib Membrane, and Zim will be weak.” _

_ “And the other humans, my Tallest?” _

_ “Kill them all.” _


	2. Chapter 2

Dib woke late in the morning the next day. He was… hot. And sticky. He shifted a little out of Zim's hold to stretch, joints cracking when he felt a sudden shot of dull pain in his lower end. He blushed deeply. _Happy Birthday to me._ Zim woke at Dibs movement, grinning as he saw the spark of realization of Dibs face.

“Morning,” He said.

“Morning-” Dib replied, eyes widening. His voice hurt. “Jesus Christ, was I that loud?” He asked, tone drawing to a whisper.

“Well, let's just say we'll be lucky if the team doesn't point it out.”

_Fuck._

Dib whined and buried his face into Zim’s neck.

“Ferran will know.”

“They'll all know when you can't sit properly.”

Dib smacked his chest softly, and Zim began to laugh.

“I'm gonna take a shower,” He grumbled, getting out of bed. Zim whistled. “And then I'm gonna kick Dennis’ ass for teaching you how to whistle.”

Dib closed the door, butterflies in his stomach. He didn't regret last night, it was a long time coming, but he was glad they had waited at least until he was older. He observed himself in the mirror. His lips were bruised from kisses, he had bite marks and hickeys on his neck, and two prominent bruises on his hips - both the shape of Zim's hands. He put his hands over the marks, squeezing them a little to  elicit pain, but not bad. His breath hitched and went he dropped his hands, turning to get into the shower. Memories of last night ran through his head as he showered, smiling happily. It really was a Happy Birthday. He stepped out as Zim knocked on the door.

“Dib-Human, your scary sister wishes to speak to you,” He said through the door.

“I’ll be out in a moment!” He said, wrapping a towel around his waist. He opened the door and quickly changed, Zim making sure Gaz didn’t see anything rude, then walked into view as he pulled his shirt on over his chest. “Hey, Gaz.” She smiled at him.

“Hey. Happy Birthday, Dib-Dab.” Zim went to make fun of the name, but Gaz spoke first. “Say anything about me calling him that and I’ll hotwire Dib’s old ship just to fly to you and beat your ass.” Zim’s mouth shut. “Good. I was going to say it yesterday, but I assumed you would be busy… and seeing that bite mark on your neck, I assumed correctly.” Dib went red. “Just wear a scarf or something.”

“Gaz, I work for the military. Scarves aren’t exactly uniform.”

“What, you don’t have casual Friday?” She teased.

“We don’t have Friday.”

“That sucks.”

“Majorly.”

“Anyways, my gift to you is two hours of kicking ass in GameSlave PC - Piggy Vampires attack.” Dib smiled wide.

“I’ll tell Saadiya you won’t make it to training today,” Zim said softly, smiling. “Lets call it medical issues.” Dib grinned a little.

“Well, you’re not entirely wrong.” Zim chuckled as he pulled on his uniform and left for breakfast.

“Gross,” Gaz said through the screen, pulling a face.

“You’re tellin’ me,” He said with a chuckle. “You're not the one who got screwed for the first time last night. Mucho dolor esta mañana.”

“Thanks for sharing,” She chuckled, pulling up her account. Dib did the same, and once they were on the same server, they began to play.

 

Two hours and a lot of conversation later, Dib and Gaz said their goodbyes. He hung up and closed the laptop, happy that he got to see his sister. He walked out to the mess hall, sitting down to his late breakfast by himself. As much as he loved Zim and Squadron Victor, alone time was very nice, too. He was sat a little awkwardly, as to not feel the real effect of the night before. He sipped his coffee and began to read, glasses hung low on the bridge of his nose. Just as he began to settle into the comfiness of his alone time, he realized he was alone. The mess hall was never empty. Before he realized it, a hand was over his mouth, and a forefinger and thumb pinched his nose together. He flailed for a moment, surprised with his lack of breathing.

“Don’t fight this, Membrana,” A man hissed into his ear. “You won’t win. Not against me. Not against the mighty Irken empire. And certainly not with Zim Sera as your mate.” In a sudden fury of spite, he elbowed the man behind him harshly in the rib, twice, then flipped him over onto the table. He then got a good look at the man as he took in a breath. He was someone he’d seen around before, but didn’t think much of.

“Who the fuck are you?” He hissed. The man got up and threw a punch at him. Dib grabbed his wrist and twisted it around his back, grabbing him by the back of his hair and slamming it into the table. He let out a groan, and Dib turned him around. “Answer me!” The man head-butted him and Dib let out a cry, his nose beginning to bleed. Taking advantage of this moment, the man shoved him off and kicked him in the side of the face. Dib fell to the floor, his glasses coming off and sliding across the floor. He growled and got up, punching him in the chest, so hard that he heard a rugged crack. The man fell back wheezing, having lost his wind. Dib punched him across the face when he caught his breath, and he hit his head on the seat of a table, promptly knocking out. He breathed heavily, nose bleeding like a spout - plentiful. People came rushing in.

“Dib?” Ferran asked as she ran over, pinching his nose softly to apply pressure. “What happened?”

“He attacked me,” Dib said, looking around, nervously. “Where is Zim?” Zim pushed through the crowd with Dib’s glasses. Zim came to him, looking him over.

“Broken nose, but none of the bones are out of place, forming bruise on the side of his face…” Zim mumbled, then looked to the man on the floor. “Fractured collar bone, bruised lungs, chipped teeth on the left side, minor head injury. No threat of brain injury.” He looked back to Dib, looking at his face. “Let’s go to the medical place.” He led Zim to the Medical ward, Saadiya taking care of the man on the ground.

 

Doctor Eliza Daskerand was a kind woman. Dib had seen her a few times for a concussion and a minor fracture in his fist. But when he came in with that bloody nose, she was genuinely concerned for the first time.

“Dib, I need you to tell me everything that happened,” She said, putting on gloves and leading him over the sink.

“I was reading and drinking coffee, and he comes up behind me and puts his hand over my mouth and pinches my nose,” He said. “He told me that I wouldn’t win against him, or the Irken empire, and not with Zim by my side, which is why I was especially worried for him… I elbowed his ribs twice and flipped him onto the table, he tried to punch me and I slammed him back into the table again… He head-butted me in the nose, and I got up and punched him in the chest and across the face, he fell and hit his head on the table.” She nodded softly.

“Alright, well you did the right thing to come to me. Zim was right in thinking it was a broken nose, but we are gonna add more pressure, alright? And them I’m gonna have to examine you for anything else.” Zim squared his shoulders in protest. “It’s protocol, Zim. But considering you are his partner, and you are a better alternative to X-Rays, you can stay.” Zim nodded. Once they got the blood to stop, she drew the blinds and locked the door. Dib, blushing softly, he pulled off his shirt and looked to Zim, whose lips twitched into a satisfied smirk upon seeing the bruises. “Well,” Daskerand said, lifting his arms to take a proper look at him. “Do I need to ask if you have any pain in your-”

“Yes,” He said, blushing harder. Zim’s smirk went away, immediately looking guilty and apologetic. “But not anything out of the normal. No blood or anything. Just… first time stuff.” Eliza nodded.

“Alright. Thank you for being honest with me.” She examined Dib’s hands. “You’ve got bruised knuckles. Be glad your fracture didn’t reopen.” Her eyes found Dib’s neck. “Let me see if I can do anything about the bite.” He let her examine it. “A small bandage, perhaps. But it’ll spare you the embarrassment from your team.” He smiled a little. “Alright, I am going to feel for the fracture in your nose. It’s gonna hurt like hell, but we have to.” Her hand found his nose, fingers cold as ice, which was nice for a moment, before the dug in to feel his nose. He tried not to move his facial features, but his hand shot up and reached to Zim. Zim took it and Dib squeezed his harshly - Zim tried to squeeze back, just to protect his bones. Eliza removed her fingers. “Zim was right, the bones haven’t moved. Which is good, that means you don’t need one of those ugly casts. You need bed rest and you need to not screw up your nose again, otherwise it _will_ get worse.” He nodded softly, feeling at his nose carefully. “Literally, what did I just say?” She said. Dib moved his hand. “It will probably swell, and you might have black eyes. If you start bleeding again, come to me… I will write you a note to get you out of training for the next two weeks to make sure your nose has healed enough to spar with your partner.”

“I need to train, I don’t like going to long without it,” He protested. “Saadiya doesn’t like excuses.”

“I know Saadiya, she puts your health first, not your ability. And if she has a problem, tell her to come to me. I want you to come to me tomorrow so we can check those bruises again.” He pulled his shirt back on, releasing Zim’s hand.

“Thank you, Eliza,” He said softly. She nodded.

“That’s my job, Dib.” She pulled back the blinds and unlocked the door. Zim and Dib walked out, Zim wrapping an arm around Dib’s waist gingerly. Squadron Victor stood there, pacing worriedly. Brian came over and hugged Dib.

“Are you alright, Dude?” He asked worriedly before pulling back, Ferran coming in and hugging him.

“I’m okay,” He promised, smiling softly. They worry, though unnecessary, still meant alot to him.

“Saadiya brought the other guy into the other room,” Dennis said, hugging him briefly before they both pulled back. “We’re waiting on Saadiya to come out and tell us what the word is.”

“He’s alive,” Saadiya said, walking out, as if on cue. “But he’s messed up pretty bad. You really did a number on him, Dib. You said you think he might be a spy?”

“I think so,” Dib said tentatively. “He was talking about the mighty Irken Empire, and how we stood no chance against them.”

“And you’re positive of this?”

“On my life, Saadiya.”

“We have nothing but your word. He turned off the cameras.”

“Who is he, anyways?”

“His name is Gavin Cera. He works for the tech department.”

“What if we can’t prove the Dib right?” Zim asked.

“Dib gets reprimanded for psychical violence, and is suspended for three months. It goes on his permanent record, and can be used against him in the future.” Saadiya was then pulled aside by the Doctor who was watching over Gavin. Dib swallowed slightly.

“Well, we have work to do-”

“No, _they_ have work to do.” They turned to look at Eliza. “ _You_ are on bedrest, Dibble.” She gave the note to Dennis, who looked it over.

“Agreed. Thank you, Doctor.”

“Anytime, Lieutenant.” Dennis looked up with a small grin as Eliza walked away, grinning back. Ferran looked to Dennis.

“What?” He asked

“ _Anytime, Lieutenant_.” She mimicked Eliza’s voice. “She’s totally got the hots for you!”

“Please. She’s probably married.”

“Oh-ho-ho! Two portions says she isn’t!”

“You’re on, Cortéz.”

Saadiya walked back over.

“Gavin is dead.” Everyone went silent, and Dib gripped onto Zim. “It’s not Dib’s fault.” Everyone let out a breath. “The Doctor tried to do an MRI on him, and something flew out of his skull. It’s a small microchip.” She held it up in small clear bottle.

“Those are put into PAKs to make Irkens submissive,” Zim interjected. “Those are powerful. I could only imagine what it would do to a human.”

“The real question is,” Milano said. “How did Gavin Cera get to Irk, get implanted, and get back into time for a) no one to notice, or b) just in time for the ship to make its departure?” No one had an answer for that.

“The autopsy is going to happen in 3 hours. Hopefully that will turn some more things up.” They all nodded, and Dennis passed the medical note to Saadiya, who read it over.

“I didn’t need some note from Eliza to tell me that Dib isn’t working this one. Not only obstruction of justice, but you’re lucky that you didn’t completely shatter your nose. Go to bed, Membrane. That’s an order.” Dib sighed softly and Zim kissed his cheek before leaving with the team toward Gavin Cera’s quarters. He took back everything he’d ever said about alone time.

  


_“Ally 117 is dead, my Tallest. His heart monitor flattened.”_

_“Humans always were the weakest of them all.” Red turned to look at the technician. “Can you get that chip, and his body?”_

_“We could send a fleet-”_

_“No. We need to act oblivious. The focus is still on Dib, yes?”_

_“Yes, my Tallest.”_

_“Then we wait, for now.”_

_“And if they find out who Ally 117 is?”_

_“They won’t. I’ll see that through.”_

_Red pulled up a file on the large monitor. On it as a was picture of a woman with blonde hair and brown eyes._

_Name: Elizabeth Darleen Daskerand_

_Age: 28 years_

_Occupation: Doctor_

_“Find this human. Kill her.”_


	3. Chapter 3

Dib waited for Zim to come back to their room. His sister was at school, and his team was out doing all this background research. He wanted to know why he was targeted, he wanted to know if Dib was okay, he wanted to know who Gavin really was, and how he got to Irk. He paced in their bedroom, itching to know the truth, when Zim walked in. Dib perked up, and Zim shook his head.

“Not much development. We still don’t know who Gavin Cera really is.” Dib deflated softly. “The Eliza-Doctor is performing the autopsy, looking for scarring on his skull and in his brain.” Dib nodded a little, crossing his arms over his chest. “Dib?”

“Did I do something?” He asked. “Why am I being targeted? What did I do? My social anxiety is way too bad to talk to any aliens other than you. How could I have possibly pissed someone off  _ so bad _ that they wanted me dead?” Zim crossed the room to gently hold Dib by his arms.

“You didn’t do anything wrong. It was an assassination attempt, a very Irken one. All this shows up is that Gavin really was a spy… I assume they would be coming after me, through you.”

“And you didn’t tell any of us that earlier?”

“Dib, I know you can handle yourself. Though I am still… on the fence about you facing the Irkens, the training that Saadiya has put us through is very beneficial. It is not exact, but it is accurate.” He gave Dib a small smile. “I’m going to be completely honest with you… I was more concerned about Gavin.” Dib gave a soft laugh, relaxing as Zim drew him in for a hug. 

“I love you,” Dib murmured, nuzzling his neck.

“Zim loves Dib, too. Now let’s go to dinner.”

 

They walked into the mess hall and some people clapped a hand on Dib’s back. 

“That is what a real soldier looks like,” he heard someone tell a trainee. Dib smiled, relaxing. He was glad that they seemed to side with him. He sat with his squadron.

“Hey, Dib,” Ferran said, giving him a soft squeeze. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I fractured my nose, but other than that, I’m… I’m alright. Given the circumstances.” They nodded softly and Brian came over with Dib’s meal. “Thank you, Brian.” He began to eat. 

“So, Gavin Cera was born on May 17th, 1984,” Saadiya said, looking at her laptop. “He went to Mitchell Brooks Elementary, Santiago Middle School, Corona Del Mar High school, was a decent student, graduated from CalTech, entered the military a decade ago… Everything is in order. But none of it adds up to what we know now.” Dib was itching to get his hands on that laptop.   
“Saadiya, please, I can help. Laptops are my specialty.” Saadiya gave Dib a stern look.

“You know I can’t do that, Dib.”

“Please!”

“No. Not unless you want to contact Director Greenwell.”

“Will you say yes if I do?” 

“Yes.” 

Dib got up and marched to the center of the ship, barely having touched his food. He stopped himself before barging in. Gently, he knocked on the door three times before stepping back and waiting. The door opened a few moments later, and Greenwell stood before him.

“Director Greenwell-” Greenwell pulled him into a hug, being careful of his nose. Did hugged back. “Director?”

“You get attacked and expect me to stay professional?” They said. “Shut up and hug me, Membrana.” Dib hugged back, smiling before they pulled away. “How can I help you, Dib?”

“I can help with the Gavin case. Saadiya has a laptop, and the information isn’t adding up, but I’ve got a hunch.”

“What’s your hunch?”

“I think that the documents aren’t authentic. I think they were implanted so that he would be accepted into the military, and infiltrate.”

“He was put in a decade ago.”

“Was he, though? Were you the Director ten years ago?”

“No.” 

“Then how can any of us be sure?”

The Director worried on their lip for a moment as they thought.

“Alright. But I need to be present. Saadiya already told me that she wasn’t going to let you in on this one, and I can’t say I completely disagree.” He nodded softly.

“I know, Director. I need to get in there. I need to know why I was targeted.” They nodded and he escorted the Director back to the mess hall. Everyone stood at attention as they made their way through to Squadron Victor.

“I can’t believe he  _ actually  _ did it,” Ferran murmured to Dennis. They saluted to the Director.

“Give the laptop to Dib, Lieutenant Ibaara.” Saadiya gave Dib the laptop and he sat down. “At ease.” Everyone went back to eating. Dib hacked into the database, looking at the entry dates for the original photos and documents.  _ August 15th, 2013. _

“I was right. These documents were uploaded in 2013.”

“The year before you were elected as the new director,” Saadiya murmured.

“Yes,” The Director said. “Good work, Dib. This gives him the time, but it doesn’t explain who he really is, and why he had a chip in his brain.”

The doors burst open, and Doctor Eliza Daskerand was panting, hand holding the door open.

“Director, Squadron Victor,” She said. “You have  _ got  _ to take a fucking look at this-” She turned and began to run back to her lab, everyone running after her. She ran into her lab, looking through her microscope to make sure what she was looking through was correct. They ran in.

“What is it, Doctor?” The Director asked. 

“Hold on-” She said, motioning for Zim to look. He gazed into the microscope.

“Oh, Irk!” He breathed. “That-That’s-” He looked to the rest of the team, then the corpse on the table. “That’s impossible, that’s-” He searched his PAK for anything - and to his surprise, something came up.

“Zim?” Dib asked softly. “Are you alright?” He looked up.

“Gavin Cera is Vin Sera, an Invader rumoured to have experimented with genetic mutation,” He started. “It was never confirmed or denied that he’d actually  _ done  _ it… The Tallests must’ve gotten wind of it. When I was trying to destroy Earth, I…” He felt quiet.

“Zim, it’s okay, we know you won’t do that stuff anymore,” Ferran said softly.

“...I was asked to deliver a human for experimentation.” The air grew pregnant with shock. Dib stood beside him and took his hand. Zim squeezed.  _ Am I okay?  _ Dib squeezed back.  _ You’re just fine. _ “I delivered one of the kids from the school Dib and I went to… His name was Keith…” His eyes averted to the ground. “I ended up getting him back, but that was after… months. Keith was just fine, I made sure of it… but I had no clue what they did to him…” He looked to Gavin. “He looked like him. I can see it now. They made an matured version of his DNA and mutated it to Vin’s, sent him to Earth, and put that chip in his head to make sure he remembered his mission. Genetic mutation can lead to memory loss, instinct changes from kill to care…” 

Now Dib knew why Zim started being as nice as an Irken could be to Keith when they were young. The Director put their hand up.

“Thank you, Zim, for being honest.” He nodded a little. “But this could mean that anyone on the two ships could have that chip in their head… Zim, do you think you could tell?” Zim nodded softly. 

“I would be able to detect similar technology.”

“Check everyone in this room. We need to trust each other.” 

“I need the chip.”

Greenwell gave him the chip, and Zim examined it, the took a long look at everyone, letting his PAK scan them for the similar chip.

“Everyone in here is clear.” Relief filled the room, and Zim gave the chip back to Greenwell.

“That also means everyone here must be kept under security,” The Director said. “Doctor Daskerand, I want you to bunk with Squadron Victor until we are sure we’re free of the spies. Dib, Zim, keep your bedroom under complete lock down when you sleep. Everyone will be given communicators. Check-ins are required at each breakfast, everyone must remain accounted for. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Director Greenwell,” Everyone said, saluting. They left the room and Dib and Zim said their goodnights, walking back to their bedroom hand in hand. Dib was relieved to have the Gavin case cleared up, but was considerably stressed otherwise. He didn’t like thinking about not being able to trust people on these ships. He sighed softly as he leaned against his lover. 

They walked into their bedroom and locked the door with every lock, putting a chair under the handle. They both stripped down and put on pajamas, turned out the lights, and cuddled up without saying a single word to one another. After about half and hour of silence, Dib spoke.

“Zim?” He whispered.

“Yes?”

“I’m nervous.”

“Me too.”

“I can’t relax, or sleep.”

“Me neither.”

Dib looked to Zim, his face shadowed in the dark.

“Zim?”

“Yes, Dib?”

“...I love you.”

“I know. I love you too.”

“...I’d like to prove that to you.”

Dib leaned down and kissed him.

 

That night, they reached out to each other in a way they never had before. It was slow, gentle, long, multiple times. There were long breaks between were they just talked about everything and held each other, and sometimes they didn’t speak at all. Sometimes the silence was enough. They exposed a part of themselves that was needy and cowardice, a gentle game of give and receive. Sometimes Zim was so soft that Dib almost cried, sometimes the sweet nothings and the promises they made were too much, and they wept together, and sometimes Dib spoke so lowly of himself at Zim had to remind him how special he was, and vise versa. But the whole time, they touched, explored, held, squeezed, caressed, kneaded, massaged, they truly  _ loved. _ That night, for a moment, Zim understood what love was. It was just an emotion. But it was significant. It had many ways of showing itself, which meant that the definition of love was subjected. That night, Dib and Zim made love. Something that was theirs. 

 

‘Till death do they part.


	4. Chapter 4

_ 3:02 AM, April 1 _ _ st _ _ , 2019 _

 

Doctor Eliza Daskerand woke in a haze. It was hard to sleep in a room with multiple people. Her lips were dry. Her morning breath was prominent. Rubbing at her eyes, she put on her glasses and got out of bed. They didn’t have any water in their room. She put on her slippers and lab coat, tying up her hair and walking toward the kitchen. Walking in, she yawned and got a glass, beginning to pour water in. She felt a gust of wind against her warm skin and chills rippled over her skin, sudden anxiety filling her. She turned and a hand collided with her face. The glass fell to the floor and shattered into pieces. She fell into the glass, hissing as it punctured her arm and cheek, hands covered with glass shavings. She looked back up, about to cry out for help when a hand closed around her neck and began to choke her. She threw glass in their face, finding a particularly sharp shard and stabbing their arm. They groaned and released her and she scrambled to get up. They grabbed her and slammed her into the fridge. It rocked slightly, pitchers on top of the fridge falling and adding to the mess of glass on the ground. 

The hand closed around her neck once more, the other hand grasping her wrists and pinning them to the fridge. She kicked and tried to gasp for breath, and black splotches covered her eyes. There was a sudden flash, and the hand released her. She looked down, gasping for breath. Looking up, there stood Dennis, using his taser. The flash she had seen was the electricity current. Dennis stopped the flow and knocked the person out, turning on the lights. It was a woman…

“Oh my God,” She whispered. “That’s… Isn’t that Cortéz’s sister?” Dennis nodded softly.

“Don’t think about that right now. The Director said it could be anyone, and Cortéz was cleared.”

“Yeah, by Zim, an Irken.” Dennis gave a pointed look.

“He is a good soldier, and a good man. I’ve known him for three years. I was there when we picked him up. Zim Sera is not a traitor.”   
“So was Gavin Cera.” 

Dennis sighed softly. 

“The Director trusts him. And until we figure out a way to be entirely sure, I would rather not distrust my own squadron.” Daskerand gave a nod. Dennis came over and helped her sit on the counter. “Walk me through this.”

“Get the first aid,” She said, pointing to the small box. He took it and opened it up. “Get the tweezers, and be careful when you take it out.” Carefully, Dennis removed the glass from her arm and cheek, then helped her take off her lab coat. She observed the cuts. “You’ll need to stitch this one,” She said, pointing to a rather deep cut. He carefully stitched it, and she hissed softly in pain, gripping his shoulder with her unharmed arm.

“You’re really lucky,” He said softly. “You could have been in Dib’s position.”

“I know,” She murmured as he finished up the stitches. He carefully bandaged her arm and her cheeks. He noticed a soft blush on the Doctor’s cheeks, and once he finished putting the bandaid on her temple, their eyes locked. Her eyes flickered to his lips, and he gently pushed a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear. Dennis hadn’t fallen in love with anyone since Elijah was born, and his girlfriend left him. But Doctor Daskerand -  _ Eliza _ \- made him want to feel that way again.

“ _ Eliza _ ,” He whispered softly, eyes falling to her lips.

“ _ Dennis _ ,” She whispered back. They leaned forward slowly, lips brushing against one anothers before kissing each other. Her hand cupped his jaw, his hands cradling her face softly.

Eliza’s heart soared. She had never been the girl that anyone wanted, high school was not easy for her. But Dennis wasn’t like that. Dennis wasn’t like them. He was gentle, he was kind. He made her feel… beautiful. But most of all, he respected her. He acknowledged her brilliance and praised her for it. He was, single-handedly, the only man in her life that encouraged her to achieve her dreams

Dennis needed to let someone in. Eliza was kind, beautiful, funny, determined… She was the woman he needed in his life, to make sure he didn’t do something stupid, to keep him in line. She was understanding. She listened (and God help him, should he cross her). She was a genius, and she always seemed so careful in her work, even though she was always right. 

They pulled away a moment later, and they pressed their foreheads together. Neither knew what to say, and only smiled. Suddenly, someone cleared their voice behind them, and they turned to look. There stood Saadiya, Director Greenwell, Milano, Ferran, and Brian. The two disconnected immediately, Dennis helping Eliza down. Ferran walked forward, leaning down beside her sister. She looked up at Dennis.

“What did you do?!” She shouted, getting up and charging at him, when Saadiya gently grabbed her shoulder.

“Let them explain.”

“I walked in and she was choking Doctor Daskerand against the fridge,” He said, standing straight. The Director leaned over to Brian and told him to get Zim and Dib. Brian left to get them.

“I was getting water and I turned around because I thought someone came in… I dropped the glass and she punched me and I fell on the glass. She began to choke me and I grabbed a shard and stabbed her in the arm, I got up and she shoved me against the fridge, the pitchers fell and broke, and I was about to blackout when Lieutenant Clay found me, tased her, and tended to my wounds.” Cortéz looked to her sister, afraid.

“I have memories with her growing up,” She said. “She got me ready for my first date, she was there for me when I was pregnant as a teen, I… There is no way that she-”

“There is a way.”

They turned to see Dib and Zim. They both looked exhausted, and like they had been crying. Dib wore only pajama pants, and Zim wore leggings and a shirt. 

“The Irkens have tampered with memory before. Mostly, it was for making treaties when they didn’t want to use military force, and the other party wasn’t gonna give up willingly. Control their memories, control their decisions.”

“Would you be able to tell?” The Director asked.

“I can tell most things, yes.” Zim’s voice was rough, and he was too tired to be respectful. He approached Cortéz, grabbed her jaw, and looked at her, expression calculating. Dib, in the background, huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. “Stop that, Dib,” He ordered softly. “You know I wouldn’t.” Dib turned a soft red and he leaned against the wall. “Yes. There is some scarring in her memory.” He released her. “They probably did the same with your parents, and the Doctor that ‘delivered’ her.”

“But- That’s not possible-”

“It is very possible.” Cortez turned red with anger.

“My sister has been there for me time and time again!” She shouted. “Anya loved me! She cared!”

“How are you so sure?”

“How are you so sure that Dib loves you?!” Dib narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t you ever say that, Ferran,” He hissed. Ferran narrowed her eyes at Dib.

“You can’t tell me what to do! You’re freshly eighteen, I’m a mother!” She yelled back. “ _ You _ fell for Zim after he saved you from that psycho bitch that you were too much of a pussy to kill! You might be experienced, but you are  _ naive _ ! You are so naive, Dib! Why do you think we were trying to make sure you were prepared to have sex with Zim?! You think your life was so hard?! You are the son of a rich man, you’re smart, you’re handsome, things were  _ handed  _ to you, willingly! You were too weak to handle Monroe! You are too weak to handle the Irkens! But you came anyways, for what? For what?! For your  _ stupid _ little batshit crazy friend?! Well, look where she is now.” No one tried to step in. They all looked to Dib, who looked hurt, crestfallen, and absolutely fucking  _ pissed _ .

“You know what, Cortéz?” He said. “Fuck you.  _ Fuck. You. _ ” Dib turned around and left. Zim went after him, sending Ferran and angry glare.

“Harsh, Cortéz,” Dennis said. “You have no clue what he's been through. You were way out of line.” 

“Agreed,” Director Greenwell said. They walked out, Dennis and Eliza linking arms, and Saadiya took Anya’s body to the medical office. Cortéz was still, frozen in place and shocked.

 

“Dib-” Zim said, marching after his boyfriend. “Dib,  _ slow down!” _ Dib spun around and looked at him, tears heavy in his eyes.

“I love you,” He said. “You know that, right? I loved you before you saved me from Monroe, I think I even loved you before the military was ever in the mix, I love you, I love you so much-”

“I know,” He said gently, walking to him and cupping his cheeks. “Of course I know that. I love you, too.”

“You mean so much to me, Zim… I love you.” He leaned forward and kissed him softly. Zim kissed back, pulling away a moment later.

“You are safe, Dib… I promise you… I won’t let anyone hurt you, not again…” He kissed his forehead and nuzzled his cheek softly. “Come on, Dib-human. Let’s go to bed.” Dib let Zim lead him back to bed, where they snuggled up and fell asleep.

 

The next morning, Director Greenwell sat across from Anya. 

“I have to give it to you, you were good. You were really good. I just want to know one thing - what did you do to Cortéz’s mind?” She asked. Anya looked at her, eyes narrowed.

“I won’t tell you anything,  _ Director _ .” Her voice was teasing.

“Mm. Well, we would have asked Vin, but he’s dead.” 

“You think I didn’t know that?” She chuckled. “We Irkens have a hive mind. This chip in my head tells me everything.”

“Really? What do you know about Dib? Why did you attack my Doctor?”

“Your Doctor was my assignment.”

“Assignment. Hmph. Well, I assume it was your Tallests who gave you that order?”

“Yes, monkey assumes correctly.”

“Tell me about your Tallests.” She scoffed.

“Much smarter than the likes of you puny humans. It disgusts me that I look like you. They run everything - they are so perfect,” She said, swooning briefly. “I remember the first order they gave me. They sent three of us to Earth to destroy Zim, and then kill him, and then Earth. Oh, how easy that was.” Greenwell smirked.

“Gotcha.” Anya looked at her.

“Got what?” She asked. They stood, turning away and walking out. “Got what?! GOT WHAT YOU EVIL LITTLE STI-” The door closed.

Greenwell walked into the observing room where squadron Victor stood, observing the room.

“Three. They sent three. Vin Sera was one, Nya Corto was two, now we just need to find one more.”

“What are we going to do with Nya?” Cortéz asked, solemnly.

“I’ll let you decide that, Miss Cortéz,” Director Greenwell said. 

“...Kill her,” She said. “That’s not my sister… She never was.” Ferran turned to Dib, who was on a laptop, looking through the records of each soldier, trying to find any discrepancies. “I… I owe you an apology, Dib.”

“You do,” Dib said, not looking away from the screen. “But I don’t want it.” Ferran felt her heart sink.

“Dib-”

“No,” He said sharply, looking up at her with challenging eyes. “You disrespected me, you disrespected my partner, and you disrespected the person who saved my life all those years ago, and then you proceeded to tell me how easy my life was. If you apologized, you would feel okay, when I don’t. I’m not going to listen to you apologize, just to lie and tell you that it’s fine. It’s not fine. I’m not okay. You’re the naive one, Ferran. Not me.” Ferran wiped her eyes as they well with tears, then nodded and walked out. Saadiya looked at Dib and went to speak, but he beat her to it. “I am not obligated to forgive her. Don’t you dare try to make me.” She closed her mouth, and he went back to the screen. His eyes widened suddenly. “Oh my god,” He said, looking incredibly shocked.

“What?” Greenwell asked.

“Dib?” Zim asked, placing a hand on his back.

  
“I found the third spy… You guys are  _ not _ going to believe this.”


	5. Chapter 5

Director Greenwell marched back into the interrogation room.

“Ferran is the third spy, isn’t she?” Nya looked at them, smirking.

“The monkey isn’t as stupid as I thought.” Greenwell took out a knife and walked behind her, grabbing her hair and yanking her head back, putting the knife to her neck.

“Why hasn’t she gone haywire, then?” They hissed. 

“And what do I get if I tell you?” She asked, eyes narrowing. “Death?” 

“Trust me, that would be the kinder thing to do.”

“Oh-ho-ho! I’m so scared!” She tilted her chin up, eyes burning into Greenwell’s eyes, the knife pressing further against her neck. “I’m not afraid of you, Director. Neither was Vin, neither is Era, neither is Zim. We have been trained to not fear death.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” They replied. “I don’t know how they would fit fearlessness in between arrogance and huge fucking egos.” Nya growled and tugged against her restraints. “So I’ll ask you again, Nya. Why hasn’t Ferran gone rogue?”

“ _ Era  _ decided that Irkens were ruthless, and not in the good way. So she shorted out her chip.”

“How?”

“She didn’t protect it when you did the taser test. And over a few years, she became fully immersed in the human life. She gave herself fake memories. They think she’s dead. Era doesn’t exist anymore.” Greenwell released Nya. “You’re welcome, you filthy monkey.”

“Thanks, you egotistical pig.” They walked out and went back into Squadron Victor.  Saadiya paced in the room. 

“She doesn’t know,” She said softly. “Do we keep it that way? Do we kill her?”

“I could remove the chip entirely,” Eliza said. “But we would need to get to a planet to perform the surgery.” Dib sighed softly.

“We tell her,” He spoke finally. “And then she decides.” They looked around and nodded, then left the room to go track down Ferran.

 

Ferran was sat in their bunks, wiping her tears. She fucked up majorly. She heard the door open and turned away, not wanting to talk to anyone.

“Ferran,” Greenwell said softly. “We need to tell you something.”

“I don’t want to talk.”

“Then don’t, “ Dennis said. “Just listen.”

“Ferran,” Saadiya said carefully. “We… found the third spy.”

“Great. Go take care of that.”

“We are, Ferran-Clone.” Ferran spun around.   
“No-! I’m not the spy!” She said, shaking. 

“You are,” Greenwell said. “But relax. You are still you. You were an Irken with common sense, you shorted your chip on purpose, and forgot who you were. You gave yourself fake memories to forget who you were.”

“Why would I do that?” 

“We don’t know. But the chip is still in your head. I can remove it, but we would need to go to the nearest planet to perform the surgery,” Eliza said.

“...How can I believe you’re not lying?”

“You wanna see the proof?” Dib asked. He gave her the laptop. “You think you’ve been in the army way longer than you actually have been.”

“I can run some DNA tests to see if they match the same properties as Vin’s but that would take some time, and blood.” Eliza worried on her lip.

“Or you could just trust us,” Milano added.

“Do you trust me?” Ferran asked quietly.

“Yes, of course we do,” Saadiya said.

“I don’t want brain surgery.” They nodded and Dib took the laptop back, going to leave the room when he felt Zim’s hand his wrist.  _ Forgive her _ . Dib felt his heart fire up and he narrowed his eyes at Zim. He pulled his hand from Zim’s and went to their room to plug in his laptop. Zim followed after him, and closed the door when they got to the bedroom.

“Are are you acting this way, Dib-thing?!” He demanded. “Normally, I would be okay with you being angry, but she has obviously been through enough!”

“I don’t care what she’s been through, to be quite honest with you,” Dib said. “She didn’t care about me.”

“You’re being selfish, Dib.”

“Maybe I am. Maybe it’s time for me to be a little selfish.”

“Dib, please, apologize to her.”

“No! I refuse to be patronized like that!”

“You’re acting like a child!”

“Oh, so now you’re doing it, too?!”

“Dib, in my experience, if people are telling you to do something, you’re probably doing something wrong!” Zim yelled, stepping forward. 

“I’m not doing anything wrong! I made a decision, I’m going to stick with it!” 

“You made the wrong decision!” Dib stared at him, frowning. 

“They see me as some delicate little flower. They always have.”

“Then tell them to stop. But don’t take that out on Ferran.” Zim cupped his cheeks as Dib went red with embarrassment. “You’re a smart young male, Dib. I know you’ll make the right decision.” He kissed Dib briefly before going to the mess hall for lunch. Sighing, Dib sat down and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t want to apologize, but Zim needed him to. It seemed like they all did. He shouldn’t have to! It wasn’t fair! 

Maybe it wasn’t fair. So what? Why did anyone care if it was fair or not? This war isn’t fair, but they’re in the middle of it. 

Fuck.

Dib got up and walked, knocking on the door to the bunk room. All the others were in the mes hall. Peering in, he saw Ferran, laying on her side. 

“Ferran?” He asked softly.

“What? Come to tell me how  _ naive  _ I am?” Dib had to restrain himself from yelling.

“Look,” He said. “I don’t like being mad at you. But I refuse to be patronized like that again. And since you don’t believe I had a tough life, and I never explained to you what my background really was… I guess it was easier to pretend I had an easy life.” She sat up as he sat at the foot of the bed. “I wasn’t born. I was cloned by my asswipe of a father - he was a scientist. I was considered a failed experiment because I wasn’t interested in Science. He wanted to make himself immortal. I… I don’t want that. So he neglected my sister and I. My sister, for a long time, just wanted to make my father happy, so he could be proud of her. That really meant ignoring me and trying to impress him. For a long time, I was alone. I was the weird kid at school, I had no friends… They actually sent me to a mental asylum. Twice. During that time, the reason I didn’t fight was because…” He looked away briefly. “ At the time… I didn’t want to live. My father considered me a disappointment, and he told me that time and time again. We fought so much… Well, it was more like he just screamed at me a lot. I never said anything. My sister degraded and threatened me. Lex taught me that life is precious. She save my life, in more ways than one. And then Zim came, and I had purpose. He was the only person who spoke to me. He challenged me. And the rest is history.”

“I’m sorry, Dib,” Ferran said softly.

“Me too,” He replied. They hugged for a moment. 

“Now, I don’t know about  _ you _ , but I have a bet to win.” She got up, grinning. Dib stood, smiling back. 

“I’d like to see this.”

 

They walked into the mess hall and Dib sat beside Zim, taking his hand. Zim squeezed softly.  _ You okay? _ Dib squeezed back.  _ I will be. _ Dib began to eat his dinner as Ferran sat down and looked to Dennis.

“You owe me two portions!” She said triumphantly. Dennis smiled and chuckled. 

“Indeed I do.” He gave her the portion of mashed potatoes and green beans. “Never said they were good portions.” Ferran huffed.

“Cheat.”

“Not my fault you didn’t think it through.”

Dib smiled a little as they began to argue. Making up with her was worth it. Apologizing isn’t about you. The strength it takes to apologize is what matters. He leaned into Zim, kissing his cheek. Zim looked to him, smiling.

“What was that for?”

“For being the alien that I love.” Zim chuckled and Dib nuzzled him softly. He pulled back and began to eat, glad to for things to finally be calm. 

 

Greenwell was sat with Nya, putting food before her in the interrogation room. She looked that Greenwell, eyes narrowed.

“What’s this?”

“You told me what I needed to know. You get rewarded.” 

“I’m not your pet-thing.”

“Want me to take it away?” Nya huffed but shook her head.

“How am I supposed to eat this?” She asked. “I’m restrained.”

“Which is your dominant hand?” They asked. 

“Right.” Greenwell unlocked the left hand. “What the hell?!”

“It would be easier to choke me if I unlocked your dominant hand.” Nya smirked a little. 

“You are very clever, Greenwell.” Nya began to eat her cake, and Greenwell grinned a little.

“I know. You don’t get a position of power by being dumb.” 

“That you don’t. So, tell me, how did you become the Director of the CIA?”

“Well,” They said. “It started out when I entered the army. I worked my way up from the bottom to the top. That’s why I don’t treat the new guys like I’m an asshole.”

“But why do those humans think you’re so intimidating?”

“It was a ripple effect from when I was a marshal. I’m especially good with long-distance guns. I once shot a target from four miles away. One of my best.” She looked at her. “And why do you care, with your all-powerful species?” Nya looked at her, and chuckled as she finished her cake and sipped her soda.

“You would make a good Invader.”

“I don’t invade.”

“Your species has invaded your own planet. From amoeba to a full life-form, you have become the most dominant on your planet. You are at the top of your food chain. We are at the top of the Universe’s. We aren’t so different, why do you think that Dib-thing and Zim work so well together? We’re the same, but you’re just on a smaller scale.” 

“No. Humans don’t kill for the sake of killing - at least, not if they’re sane.”

“You would argue that any human is sane?” Greenwell chuckled.

“Chill down there, Aristotle.”

“I’m serious. Would you argue there is a sane human?”

“Sure.”

“Have you ever met someone who wouldn’t kill for someone or something they love?” Nya asked. “Or someone who has been obsessively into something? Or maybe someone who joked about killing someone? Joked about rape? Kidnap? Discrimination? Massacres?” Greenwell was quiet. Nya chuckled. “No. I didn’t think so. There is no ‘sane’ human. Sane is subjective. Everyone is insane. Even you, Director Greenwell.” She leaned forward. “But insane can be fun, if you let it.”

“Fun isn’t a synonym for death.”

“Who said it was? You made that connection on your own.”

“You implied it.”

“You said it.” Greenwell leaned forward.

“Unless you start helping us, you are going to die.” Nya’s grin faded. “You tell me when you’re willing to cooperate.” Greenwell walked over and restrained Nya’s hand once more before leaving, her words heavy on the Director’s mind.


	6. Chapter 6

Zim walked into the interrogation room. Greenwell said that he should try with this - maybe he could knock some sense into her. Nya hissed softly as she saw him.

“What are _you_ doing here?” She growled. Zim sat down calmly.

“I’m not ecstatic about being here, either.”

“Then leave! And bring back the Greenwell-monkey.”

“Why?”

“They are considerably more challenging than the likes of you, traitor.”

“You want to know a secret, Nya?” Zim hissed. She leaned forward, smirking.

“Desperately.”

“The Tallests are idiotic and lazy. They excel at only one thing - war. And war isn’t always good.”

“You are committing treason!”

“I’m not an Irken anymore.”

“This is very obvious.”

“Good. The last thing I want is to be associated with some mornic, primitive species.”

“You already are,” She said. “Look at your courtship partner.”

“Do not bring the Dib into this!” Zim ordered sharply. “And even if that were true, look in a reflective object, Nya! You are, biologically, a human!”

“Unfortunately. This body is weak. Just like the rest of those pathetic wastes of matter.”

“Would you consider Director Greenwell weak?” Zim asked, a smirk tugging at his lips. “She’s outsmarted you on multiple occasions.” Nya rolled her eyes.

“The Director is the exception.”

“How so?”

“The Director is…” Nya seemed to have a hard time putting a finger on it. “The Director is clever. And strong. Stronger than the others. They may seem regal and put together, but I can see past that. They aren’t afraid to be ruthless. I want to peel away those layers and see what truly lies beneath that exterior.” Zim leaned back, smirking a little, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You want to court the Director,” He concluded. He saw Nya’s cheeks color that same color he saw on Dib’s quite often.

“I do NOT want to court that human-stink!” She screeched. “That _thing_ is full of- of filth! And Grotesqueness!”

“You weren’t saying that a moment ago.”

“You shut your whore mouth, Zim Sera!”

“Or what?” He asked, standing up. “If humans are so _weak_ , and you are one of them on a molecular level, how exactly do you plan on hurting me?” Nya stood, the restraints digging into her wrists.

“Get these fucking cuffs off and I’ll show you, little man.” Greenwell came in and grabbed Zim, pulling him back and whispering in his ear. Zim left immediately, looking panicked. “What was that about?” Greenwell looked to her.

“We are about to undergo an attack.”

 

Zim found Dib working in the front of the ship, taking control of it and keeping in contact with the twin ship.

“Zim, man the weapons!” He looked to Saadiya who was trying to establish contact with the Massive, who were coming at them head-on. Zim scrambled toward them, sitting across the room from Dib.

Milano was leading a team of pods to attack the militia with Dennis and Ferran at his side. Eliza was preparing the medical ward, strapping down the medication and locking the cabinets air-tight, putting Vin into one of the safety pods attached to the wall, then getting in her own, strapping down, and turning on her beacon, should anything happen.

Squadrons were assigned to hold things in place and get to safety, Squadron Victor and Squadron Alpha manning the offense. Greenwell and Nya made their way to the front - Greenwell wanted her to watch what the Irkens do, first-hand. As contact was made, Saadiya went to Nya and held her off-camera.

“I thought it was about time we met, Director Greenwell,” Red said, smirking. Greenwell stood their ground, looking confident.

“That it is,” They said. “I would say it’s nice to meet you, but I very much despise your presence.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

“If you retreat now, we won’t attack.” Loud laughter was heard throughout the room.

“You think you can stand a chance?” Red asked. “You are fighting the best of the best, Director Greenwell.”

“I always thought that title was overrated.” She nodded to Dib and he gave the signal to deploy. Milano and his team went out, shooting at the sides of the massive, not giving them time to deploy their own. The Tallests’ cam began to shake., but they remained calm.

“What was your first name, Director? Because ‘Director Greenwell’ is a little wordy for a pathetic waste of time.”

“What was your real name, Tallest? Because ‘Tallest’ is a little over exaggerated for a 5’, lazy, ignorant, little thing.” Tallest Red growled.

“I am the Tallest of my species! Does that not account for anything?!”

“On my planet, we consider people over 6’ tall to have a growing disorder. Being super tall or super short isn’t really the best.”

“So you all strive for average?”

“Better than you. You pretend you’re great, when you’re mediocre at best.”

“I will crush your ships, and then your species, Director Greenwell.”

“Even with two of your own on board?”

“Era and Nya are useless. Vin is dead, and he couldn’t kill an eighteen year old human. Nya couldn’t kill a defenseless nurse. Era doesn’t exist anymore. I can’t care less if they died.” Greenwell looked to Nya.

“You didn’t believe me. You didn’t believe Zim. You had to see it for yourself. There it is. They don’t care.” Nya looked heartbroken, then a sudden shadow of rage filled her. Greenwell tossed Saadiya the keys, who unlocked her. She marched over to Dib and pulled him out of the way, taking control of the weapons. She flew them closer and shot at the head of the massive, and the massive began to deploy. Pods were being shot down. Debris was being flown off into space at both sides. Shots hit the sides of the ship, rocking it, but it didn’t put her off. The Tallests went offline and a sudden flurry of cruisers left, abandoning the ship. “Nya, could you bring us down to a planet, please? We need to make repairs.” Nya did as directed, bringing them down. “Dib, bring in Milano’s team, and tell the twin to follow course… and bring down the Irken shell.” He followed the order. They were soon parked on the planet. “Alright, thank you Squadron Victor and Alpha, you are dismissed. You fought bravely.” They left, Dib and Zim meeting in a hug before leaving. Nya went to follow. “Nya, please stay.”

“What for?” She asked, looking at her. Pain was in her eyes. “You were right, Director Greenwell. You don’t need to rub it in my face. I got the fucking message. I’ll co-operate.” Greenwell looked at the girl, walking forward. They placed a hand on her cheek.

“It’s Charlie.” Nya, blushing softly, looked a little confused.

“What?”

“My first name is Charlie,” They said. “You are allowed to call me that. You earned it.” Nya looked a little annoyed.

“I’m not your pet. I don’t earn things.”

“Fine. Then I am giving you the opportunity to use it when we are alone.”

“How often are we going to be alone?”

“Oh, well, after finding out that you are trying to court me,” Greenwell hummed, cupping her chin and dragging their thumb over Nya’s bottom lip. “I’d say quite often.” They leaned forward and kissed Nya softly.

 

Dennis ran into the ship as they landed. Eliza was unlocking everything and hiding Vin’s body when he ran in.  Eliza looked up, then ran forward and hugged him.

“Dennis,” She breathed, holding him tightly.

“Eliza,” He whispered back, arms around her waist and lifting her off the floor, holding her tight against his chest. “Oh my god, I’m so glad you’re okay..”

“I’m alright… Are you?”

“Yeah, I’m alright…” They pulled back and he kissed her deeply, pulling back when they door opened and people were rushed in. It looked pretty bad… That’s when he saw Milano amongst the crowd. He pecked her lips and went to him, taking him from one of the soldiers. He was unconscious and bleeding from his ear. “What happened?” He asked one of the Alpha members.

“His ship took a critical hit,” The woman said. “I managed to get to him and pull him into mine.”

“Thank you,” He told her, shaking her hand. Dennis looked to Eliza, who tied her hair up, and got to work. He began to put people onto beds and chairs, helping guide the chaos. It was going to be a long while.

 

Dib and Zim had stepped off the ship, desperately needing to get off the ship. After telling a few technicians were they would be, they walked out into the town, away from the commotion. They checked into a hotel, as they would definitely be staying at least one night. Once safely inside, Dib grabbed onto Zim and hugged him tight.

“Are you alright, Dib?” He asked, wrapping his arms around the human and holding him tight.

“I was… scared,” He admitted. Zim gently sat him on the bed.

“My first time, I was scared, too…” Dib looked a little surprised. “I never said anything, because… Well, because we won. It was loud. People screamed, burned, children cried, it was chaos. Everyone else fed off it like hummingbirds. I… couldn’t. Afterward, everyone went to this massive party on Irk. There were drinks and food and everyone was having a great time, but I left before it started… and when I got home, I cried… and I realized why Irkens burn when they cry. It’s to condition us into not crying. We were meant to be this emotionless species, because we were powerful. And I thought I wasn’t because I felt.”

“That’s not true,” Dib said softly. Zim smiled tiredly.

“I know that, now. But I didn’t back then.” Dib leaned forward and kissed him softly.

“You aren’t an Irken anymore,” He said softly, cupping his cheek and pressing his forehead to Zim’s. Zim closed his eyes.

“I know.” _But sometimes, that was the problem._

 

 _“Damn it!” Purple shouted. “How did we lose to those- those stink_ things _!”_

_“It’s simple,” Red said. “They had two rogue Irkens on their side. An idiot and a traitor.”_

_“Red, sometimes your bluntness really gets on my nerves.”_

_“I know, Pur,” Red said. “But it’s true. Though they are rogue, they are, unfortunately, competent in basic war strategy. We have to think bigger.”_

_“We could destroy the planet they’re on.”_

_“And prove them right? I don’t think so.” Red paced for a moment. “We need to rebuild and start new. We move from there.” He turned to a technician. “You! Small thing, how long has thing put us behind?”_

_“At least two weeks, my Tallests.”_

_“You’ve got one.” The technician left with a nod. Red looked at Purple, orbs narrowed. “I will destroy those humans. Starting with that Director Greenwell.”_


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit for the Orok goes to my friend Catlyn Gunn! You should definitely check out her Interstellar series, she's a wonderful author, right here on Archive!  
> Thank you again, Catlyn, for letting me use your idea!  
> Happy reading!

So, a few days turned out to be a little more like five.

What Zim hadn’t anticipated was the salvaging of the Irken Massive, though he didn’t think it was wrong. The more high-tech they were, the higher their chances of survival and success was. But one thing he had noticed was how Nya would sneak off sometimes. He wasn’t going to lie - he didn’t trust the new Irken on board (even if he was glad that he wasn’t alone anymore). So when he saw her leave on the fourth day, he followed after her. She seemed to be looking for something, when her eyes fell on a building, and she filled with relief. He looked over, and his squeedily spooch nearly stopped  in shock.

It was an Orok kit store.

Oroks were presented to courtship partners when they wanted to be life-long mates. Was Nya already planning on presenting to Director Greenwell? It had been three years since he and Dib got together and he still wasn’t entirely sure if Dib would say yes. But he found himself following after her.

“Nya?” He called to her. She turned around and raised an eyebrow.

“Following me, little man?”

“What are you doing?! You and Greenwell have only been courting for four days!”

“Not my fault you’re not sure with Dib. I’m sure with Director Greenwell.” Zim narrowed his eyes.

“Fuck you, too,” He hissed.

“Look, Zim. How sure are you that you love Dib?”

“Quite.”

“Then do what those humans say and ‘put a ring on it’.”

“That is a human tradition.”

“Not my point. Mate him if you love him, Zim.” Zim stayed put, looking conflicted. She rolled her eyes. “At least grab a kit while you can. We aren’t sure when we’ll need to stop again, not after that materializer was found. We won’t need to stop for basic necessities anymore.” Zim nodded at this. He could do that. They walked in and it didn’t take long for Nya to choose two Orok kits. One was a necklace, the other was a choker (they came in different styles), buying one for her, and the other for Director Greenwell. Zim tentatively looked at two necklace types. He wanted one that wasn’t as demanding as a choker or a collar, and not one as discreet as a ring or a bracelet. He wanted people to know that Dib belonged to him, and he belonged to Dib, but he didn’t want it to seem like one owned the other. Dib hated when he got possessive like that. He took two necklaces and paid for them, getting a gentle smile from the woman behind the counter. He turned a dark green before walking out with Nya. He tried to hide them one they got onto the site of the ship. “Why are you hiding it? No one knows what Oroks are.” Zim rolled his eyes.

“To prevent them from asking. Humans hate not knowing things.” Nya chuckled.

“You’re not wrong there.” They went their separate ways and Zim stashed the kits under his shirts. He didn’t know if he would actually do it, mostly because he wasn’t sure if Dib would say yes. He didn’t know how Dib felt about commitment. He suddenly remembered Ferran - and how she won that bet. Though she had won by default, she was confident when she said she would figure it out. Perhaps she would be able to find out if Dib was ready for the next step. He let out a panicked breath, trying to relax. Everything would be alright. And if Dib wasn’t ready, he didn’t have to present.

He hated how Dib made him feel like this. He used to be strong! But no, Dib had to go and be sweet and cute and save him! He felt like he had eaten straight meat and vegetables. He wanted to puke. But no, he and Dib had reservations. Taking a sharp breath, Zim walked out of their bedroom, toward the planet outside.

As he walked out, he spotted Ferran working with some of the technicians on the outside of the ship. Lightly jogging over, Ferran looked up and smiled and stopped welding. She pulled up her mask.

“Hey, Zim-Dude. What’s up?” She asked. She had light scratches on her face from the battle.

“You know how you said you would be able to tell if Eliza was married for Dennis?” He asked.

“Yes. I promise you, Dib wasn’t married back on Earth-”

“No! No- I mean to ask if you think he is ready to be married- well, not _married_ , but the intergalactic equivalent-”

“Oh my _God_ , of course!” She squealed, putting down the welding torch and hugging him tightly. “Don’t you worry your pretty little mind, Zim, Ferran is on the case! Well, after the ship is rebuilt.”

“Thank you, Ferran-Human.” Zim liked calling her that, because the look on her face always told him how appreciative she was. It almost made things as if they were the same. “I have a reservation with Dib, and I can’t be late.”

“Oh! Yeah, of course-” Ferran released him and he grinned before going off to the hotel.

 

Dennis helped administer painkillers to a patient as Eliza took headache medication of her own. It was almost night, now, and all of the patients were asleep. The two had held down the med ward since the battle, and though they had gotten many people out of the ward after the first day, there were some who were in critical condition, or needed to be observed. Among those was Milano. Milano had woken up, but his concussion was severe. He had a headache, and he’d thrown up a few times. The only thing they could do was give him meds and make sure he didn’t sleep longer than a few hours at a time (he would have to be woken up in two hours). Dennis frowned as Eliza sighed deeply, filling out forms. He placed his hands on her shoulders, gently kneading them and kissing her temple.

“Hey,” He murmured softly. She relaxed considerably under his hands.

“Hey,” She whispered back, leaning into him.

“You’ve done so well,” He said softly, moving his hands down to wrap around her waist. “You saved so many people.” She smiled gently, putting down the papers.

“I could not have done it without you.” He chuckled.

“No way. You just told me what to do and I did it. You directed me through it all.”

“Oh, hush. You are talented, Dennis.” He pressed his lips to her ear.

“So are you, Boo.” She blushed faintly, and he pulled back to play some music from her computer. Soft music sounded, and she quirked an eyebrow. He took her hand, gently pulling her close. He wrapped an arm around her waist as one of her hands found his arm. Dennis held her hand to his chest, and she smiled as she felt the gentle, stable heartbeat pounding slowly in his chest. He leaned down and kissed her softly - and she could _feel_ his heartbeat quicken. She turned a deep red, moving her hand to his cheek. She had never been more grateful for anyone in her life. That’s when a soft ringing came from his tablet that lay on the counter. They pulled away.

“That’ll be your son,” She hummed. “You want to be alone-?”

“No,” He said softly. “It’s time you two met.” She smiled and he grabbed his tablet. They went out into the hallway, sitting on the ground as they answered it. A small boy who looked a lot like Dennis, now eight years old, smiled as his father came onto the screen.

“Daddy!” He squealed. Dennis smiled happily.

“Hey, Eli,” He said softly. “I want to introduce you to someone. This is my girlfriend, Eliza.”

 

Nya opened the door to the shared bedroom she had with the Director. She had the Orok for her in her pocket, and she was filled with anxiety. It was an odd feeling, she had never been anxious or worried before. She growled. She was an Irken Assassin! She was strong, confident, and she could do whatever she wanted, and she would do so without fear or anxiety! But when she walked in, Greenwell looked up from her desk, and smiled. Nya felt her stomach flip. She vaguely heard the door close behind her as they stood up and walked to her, placing their hands on her hips and kissing her softly. Nya wrapped her arms around Greenwells’ neck, relaxing completely into her. They were no longer Greenwell, and she was no longer Special Intel Corro. They were Charlie and Nya.

They pulled back from the kiss and Charlie smiled at Nya softly.

“Hello,” They said. “What have you been up to?” Nya suddenly remembered what she had come in there for.

“Oh- um, there’s this- this stupid tradition-” She said, blushing a little. “You don’t have to say yes or anything- actually- uh- I’ll just go-”

“No,” Charlie said, arms wrapping around her waist. “I want to know what’s on your mind.”

“It’s a little… Early,” She admitted before pulling out the necklaced Orok. It was a small triangle with grey and green, and in the middle was a glass sphere with a deep red substance. “But this is called an Orok. It’s the… Intergalactic next step after courtship. That deep red substance is… Yes, it’s my blood, but it’s so bio scanners would be able to detect it on you and they would know you have a mate. And… It’s lifelong. I went into town to get the kit this morning, I know that it’s a little much, considering we’re a fairly new relationship… But uh…” Charlie finally tore their eyes from the Orok to her eyes, and Nya felt that she needed to be completely honest. “The reason I did this is because I know that one day you might see someone better. I’m not… I’m not your kind of normal. I’m not human. At least, I don’t feel it. I don’t want you to see someone and realize that you… Don’t want me anymore… And I don’t want you to think I’m still with those horrible people… I’m with you. And I want to be with you… Forever.”

Charlie felt their heart jump. Thought they had only known Nya for a short time, she had never expressed herself like that. Not just to them, but to anyone. It was always anger, or sarcasm, or wit. For the first time in a long time, they felt loved. Smiling, Charlie leaned forward and kissed Nya softly before taking the Orok and putting it on.

“Do I have to make one for you?” They asked. Nya was a little surprised, but happy tears filled her eyes. She only nodded softly, and she hugged Charlie close. Smiling, Charlie hugged back, and then that’s when Charlie felt soft kisses on the side of their neck. “Oh, I see.”

“You can see all you want,” Nya breathed. “But right now, let’s not speak.” She kissed them, hard, and led them to bed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another huge thank you to Catlyn Gunn for letting me borrow her Orok idea!  
> Y'all should definitely check her out!

The ship was up and running within the next few days, and training was back in session after a two day hiatus. Milano was still being watched over in the hospital wing. He wasn’t getting much better, but he wasn’t getting worse, either. They just hoped they could save him. But, despite this worry, Saadiya was not letting this weigh them down. They jogged for a full hour on the cardio machines, pushed on weights, climbed rope, planked, and did all sorts of core exercises. As hungry as they were after, the soreness was almost too much to bear as they ate calmly. Zim looked to Ferran, who tilted her head softly, then suddenly remembered. She motioned him to leave for a moment. He got up, kissing Dib’s cheek before going to get another soda.

“So, Dib,” She said, a sly grin making its way onto her face. “Now that you’ve… taken it to the next level, with Zim, if you catch my drift.” Dib rolled his eyes, sipping his water. “Tell me. How do you feel about… marriage?” Dib choked. Dennis gently hit his back as he coughed.

“Ferran- what?! Why?!” Dib sputtered. 

“Just wanted to know if you were thinking of giving him a wedding band?” She said, eyebrows wiggling.

“The boy it eighteen years old, let him live a little before he gets to the married life,” Dennis argued, suddenly catching Eliza’s eyes as she passed by to walk out. He gave her a swooning smile, which she returned. Ferran quirked an eyebrow, then looked back to Dib.

“After that little episode, his opinion no longer is acceptable,” She said. “Have you guys ever… spoke about it?”

“Well, no… not really…” He admitted. “I always assumed that Zim would be afraid to make those kinds of commitments. He is without a doubt going to live longer than me, I don’t want to put him through the pain of seeing me die.”

“I doubt he would let you go. With his skill in medical practices and technology, he’d probably find a way.”

“That sounds even scarier.” This got the tables attention.

“Is he not treating you kindly?” Saadiya asked, seriously.

“No, it’s just-”

“Is he pressuring you in anyway?” Brian interjected.

“No! God no-”

“Is he-”

“Will any of you let me explain myself?” He asked, a little frustrated. “Stop giving me options.” They quieted down. “It sounds scarier because I’m… I’m afraid. What if Zim ends up losing his mind again? What if he makes me stay in that relationship? I know what Oroks are, I know what they do, what they  _ mean _ -”

“Great, that means I don’t have to explain it to you,” A voice spoke behind him. Nya lowered herself into the seat where Zim once sat, wearing a choker with a Orok hanging from it. It was blue and gold with a red sphere in the middle. Dib noticed that the guys were eyeing her before he saw that she was definitely out of uniform. Nya had never conformed to such a defining thing like a uniform. She thought they were too warm and bland. She enjoyed a little skin. She wore grey short-shorts and combat boots, black socks poking out the tops of them, and a camo green military shirt that had been cut at the bottom to rise a little higher to show just the slightest of carmel skin, and the sleeves had been cuffed into a muscle shirt.

“You and the Director-”

“Yes, but I don’t see how any of that is your business,” She said. “I’m not here to talk about it. I’m here to warn you that Zim has bought two Orok kits already.” Dib felt his heart pound. “Stop that, it’s not like he wants to enslave you. He’s not  _ that _ Irken. Zim does love you, but he’s more afraid about what you will say. He doesn’t want to own you, he made that very clear to me… I think he hid the Orok kits in your room.”

“You were there when he bought it?” Ferran asked. 

“By coincidence, yes.” 

“The hell! That should’ve been me!” Everyone looked at her. “What? It’s the best friend’s job to help pick out the ring. Is that not the same for intergalactic weddings?”

“There are no weddings. There aren’t even ceremonies. Unless you count the extensive mating afterw-”

“Thanks, that’s enough, I don’t want that mental image, thanks,” Dennis cut in. Nya rolled her eyes.

“You are such a  _ smeet _ .” She took a bite of Zim’s cake.

“A what?” Dennis asked.

“A smeet.” They remained confused. She rolled her eyes. “Oh, for Irk’s sake- Dib-thing, you know what a smeet is, yes?”

“It’s a baby,” Dib chuckled.

“I’m a baby?” Dennis asked, eyebrow raised. “You threw a fit over not being able to use the power tools the other day, and Greenwell had to take you out of the room.” 

“That’s irrelevant!”

“Bullshit!” 

Dib got out of the way as they fought, too much on his mind. Zim was planning on presenting? What if Dib wasn’t ready? Well, Dib  _ wasn’t _ ready- but what if he was? What if he wanted to be committed to Zim for the rest of his life? What if Zim wanted to prolong his life, and he made him become some slave? What if Zim found out about these worries and didn’t want to be his partner anymore? What if Dib would end up alone again? What if it would feel like he was right back with Monroe every time that Zim was in the same room with him- No. He couldn’t think like this anymore. Monroe and her staff were imprisoned, Lex’s body was found, and everything was fine. But he hated the thought of feeling that afraid around Zim, even though he knew that it was unlikely. 

Dib, contemplating in his mind and turning it over and over, he didn’t look where he was going, and he bumped into someone.

“Oh- Sorry-”

“Dib?”    
Of course it was Zim.  _ Play it cool. _ Dib put on a smile.

“Hello, Zim,” He cooed, kissing his cheek. “I’m gonna go back to the bedroom to shower.” That wasn’t a lie. He probably smelt horrible.

“Yes, please do. You are smelly.” Zim kissed his temple before going back to the table. Letting out a quick breath of relief, Dib went back to the bedroom and closed the door. He walked to the bathroom and showered, trying to relax. He needed to talk to someone, or he thought his head may explode. So after his shower, he redressed into jeans and a dark blue longsleeve before contacting his sister.

Gaz answered, but her screen was lagging a little, and he could see familiar brick wall behind her. She had her headset on, her microphone a few inches from her mouth.

“Dib? What’s wrong?” She asked. “You haven’t been answering my calls.”

“A lot has happened,” He sighed. Filling her in on the past couple of days, he heard the bell ring in the background, but she didn’t move. His heart sweeled. She really cared. “-and now I’m just so… conflicted.”

“Well, Zim obviously loves you. He wouldn’t do that again, not anymore. I think the last thing he would want to do is prove something right about him and his behavior, if he is still the same guy I knew.”

“He is, in that sense, but what if-”

“What ifs don’t apply to this situation,” She said sharply. Dib went quiet. “There are only two questions I have for you.” He nodded softly. “One, Do you love Zim?”

“Completely.”

“Would you want to spend the rest of your life with him.”

“With the lifespan I have now, but-”

“ _ Do you want to spend the rest of your life with him? _ ”

The question hung in the air for a few moments. Dib’s voice was soft when he finally answered.

“Yes.”

 

“What do you mean he found out?!” Zim screeched. A few other people from the tables turned to look at him. He glared at them, and they turned away quickly.

“I told him,” Nya said calmly, sipping juice. Seething, Zim turned to her.

“You  _ didn’t _ .” She looked at him, relaxed.

“I did.” Ferran held Zim back when he launched, and Nya laughed softly. “You couldn’t hurt me if you wanted to,  _ little man _ .”

“Why did you tell him?!”

“He deserved to know!”

“It was a  _ surprise _ !”

Someone cleared their throat behind them. There stood Director Greenwell and Dib.Zim and Nya, both looking caught, backed off.

“Dib,” He said softly.

“Nya,” Greenwell said, eyebrow raised.

“Hey, Sugar,” She purred. Greenwell looked unimpressed. 

“With me, please,” She said before walking out, Nya swaggering after her with a smirk.

“Zim, can I speak to you for a second? Alone?” Zim glanced to Ferran, who gave an apologetic look. He gave a nod and walked with Dib.

 

They were silent as they made their way to a viewing point, which had been abandoned for lunch. Dib turned to Zim, with a soft smile.

“I know what you were trying to do.”

“I'm sorry, Dib, I just wasn't sure, I love you-” 

“I know.” This quieted Zim. “And I love you too. That's why I decided to beat you to the punch line.” He pulled out a small necklace, an Orok hanging from it. It was three vertical stripes, deep violet, bright pink, and a dark red glass sphere in the center. Zim’s eyes widened and he looked to Dib. “If you're not ready, I understand… I just want you to know that I am.” 

“Dib-thing… Are you sure that you’re ready for that kind of commitment…?” He asked softly. “This is lifelong, and your life is… shorter than mine… You may be able to give me your life, but I might not be able to give you mine...”

“I’m not entirely sure about… immortality...” He admitted. “The reason my father made clones is because he wanted to live forever. To continue to have his influence for the rest of time… But…” He placed a gentle hand on his cheek. “We are both incredibly smart people. We’ll figure out something that isn’t so… permanent.” Zim smiled softly.

“In that case…” Zim took the Orok. “I would gladly be your mate.” Dib grinned and helped him put it on before leaning down and kissing him deeply.

 

Nya and Charlie walked into their quarters.

“You can’t go around picking fights like that, Nya,” Charlie said, hands on their hips. 

“Sure I can, it’s quite fun,” Nya said, sat on the bed and with crossed legs.

“Not while you’re on my ship!” Charlie growled, eyes narrowing. “A lot of the soldiers know that you were a spy, and I will not have a mutiny!” Nya stood up, stepping toward her, eyes just as challenging.

“I’m so sorry I disobeyed,  _ Director Greenwell _ ,” She hissed. Charlie stepped close to her, stubbornness flowing clearly between the two.

“You should be,  _ Special Intel Corto _ .” And suddenly they were in a heated kiss. Charlie lifted the slightly shorter woman easily, hands under her thighs as they pressed her to the wall.

  
  


The following day, Nya and Greenwell were sat in the control room as Nya briefly described each planet they saw.

“That one is Gorentia, it’s the Nebraska of space. Nothing ever happens there. They’re quite peaceful- Oo!” She pointed to a white planet. “That’s Porotoa! It’s basically a, uh.. Oh what do you humans call it… a spa, I think. It’s a planet wide spa! It’s got all sorts of atmospheric make ups to bring more people to it! There’s even a place where you humans are safe to breathe! Can we go, please?” She asked, turning to Greenwell. “It’s so nice!” Greenwell chuckled. 

“What are the inhabitants like?” They asked.

“Very kind! Very accepting!  _ Please _ ?” She whined. 

“I have been looking for a way to treat the crew… Do we need to ask to land?”

“Walk-ins are welcome.”

Greenwell chuckled and kissed her temple before nodding to the crew to lower them down. This would be quite fun.

 

“Dib! Zim!” Ferran pounded on their door. “Are you guys coming out to the planet? It’s a huge spa!”

Dib, who was holding off a clingy and eager Irken from pulling off his pants, had bite marks and bruises all over. He strained his neck to shout at the door;

“This really isn’t a good time!” Zim’s mouth latched onto the exposed skin, grinning at the Orok that moved against Dib’s chest everytime he breathed (and he was breathing hard).

Ferran finally connected the dots, and held back a laugh.

“Don’t break the bed!” She teased before leaving. Zim’s eyes filled with spite and Dib looked at him.

“We are not breaking this fucking bed, Zim,” He told him sharply.  _ Talk about words I never thought I’d have to say. _ Zim stuck out his tongue, and Dib’s mouth fell on Zim’s, releasing the hem of his pants, and letting Zim pull them off. After a few heated moments of wrestling with the rest of their clothes, Dib and Zim were down to only their Oroks. Zim eased into Dib with one single, sharp thrust and they shared a moan, Dib’s legs wrapping around Zim’s waist. Zim gripped at the tops of his thighs, growling with each movement. Dib kissed at his neck and cheek, cheeks red with exertion, heart pounding. Zim enjoyed it when Dib praised him in this way. When it’s the only thing he knows how to do. Zim nibbled of DIb’s ear, and he heard Dib let out a high-pitched noise, one of surprise and pleasure. Zim smirked a little.

“Do I make you weak, Dib?” He asked, smirk widening.

“Yes,” He moaned softly.

“Good.” Zim leaned down and kissed him once more.


	9. Chapter 9

It was a few hours later before Zim and Dib stumbled out of the ship to join the others. They were given clothes to wear, grey silk-like textured, easy to remove clothing. Zim and Dib put them on in changing stalls, walking hand in hand as they allowed two small Porotoan women to lead them out to where the rest of the squadron was. The place reminded Dib of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. There were green waterfalls and thriving purple plants. Each building was tall and astonishing, and Dib wanted to tour it all. They all wore the same thing, and everyone was getting something done differently. Dib looked to Zim, and he led them to a  small room. Zim pulled off Dib’s shirt, and Dib whined.

“No, not for a few more hours.” Zim chuckled.

“We’re getting a massage, Dib-mate.” He grinned as Dib turned red. He helped Dib lay down, and Zim pulled off his own shirt, laying beside him. He heard two people shuffle in and Dib felt a warm cream against his back and nimble fingers rubbing it in. He let out a soft breath, eyes closing as he relaxed, taking Zim’s hand softly, and squeezed it.  _ I love you _ . Zim squeezed back.  _ I love you too _ . His muscles relaxed instantly, and Dib closed his eyes, smiling warmly. 

The scratch marks on Zim’s upperback had finally healed by the end of the massage. The Squadron teased Zim for being uncautious, but it really  _ was  _ Dib that was the rough lover. They got up when the two left, and Zim checked Dib’s back to make sure the human hadn’t had a reaction to it. It was only a little flush from the warmth. They got up and put their shirts back on. They walked back out, and Zim gently tugged him toward the sauna after seeing the goosebumps on Dib’s arms. He must’ve been cold. They walked in, shedding their clothes in a stall and putting towels around their waists. Stepping into the steam, they could vaguely make out two figures. It was Greenwell and Nya, both with towels around them, Greenwell nuzzling at Nya’s cheek. 

“Hey,” Dib said and they grinned at him.

“Hey, Dib. How was the massage?” Greenwell asked as Dib and Zim took a seat.

“Very much needed,” He chuckled. 

“Congrats, by the way,” Greenwell said, motioning to the Orok around his neck.

“Thanks,” He said. Nya smirked triumphantly.

“Told you he would say yes.” Zim looked back at her, grinning.

“Dib presented to me.” Nya looked shocked for a moment.

“Well, either way, it’s because of me that you two ended up together, so you’re welcome.” Greenwell chuckled and kissed her temple.

“Dork,” They murmured softly. 

“I am no dork!”

“You are a  _ massive _ dork, love.” Nya huffed as the other two chuckled. That’s when Zim noticed that the steam had turned a vague purple. Nya caught his glare and looked at what he was staring at. Her eyes suddenly widened.

“Hold your breath,” She told them.

“What? Why?” 

“That purple isn’t supposed to be there.”

But it was too late. The purple mist clung to their skin and they absorbed it. Slowly, they began to asphyxiate, and they finally passed out.

 

Eliza and Dennis walked into the sauna only a few moments later. Instantly, Dennis notice the purple, but also saw the people within, passed out. 

“Hold your breath,” He warned her. They walked in, holding their breath as they dragged the four people out one at a time. Panic began to spread, and Dennis stood up above the crowd. He was the second hand, afterall. “Director Greenwell, Lieutenants Membrana and Sera, and Special Intel Corto have been compromised. Return to the ships, and get stretchers, get ready to get back on course.” They all followed the order to the letter as Eliza worked on getting them to start to breathe again. Only until she got a shallow but steady breath from all of them, she let them get onto stretchers. Eliza looked to Dennis.

“Until we meet again,” She said, pecking his lips before going after the unconscious group. Dennis went to the control room and they lifted off, getting back up into space within the hour. 

 

Eliza, now in a maroon dress, a lab coat, and sneakers, began to examine them, using a recorder for notes.

“Patches of purple on the skin seem to slowly be spreading around vital organs on each patient. Taking a skin sample from Lieutenant Zim Sera.” She took a biopsy punch. “Let the record know that I, Doctor Eliza Daskerand, and using an Appex Biopsy punch to collect samples.” She put the skin sample in a glass slide, then wrapped a bandage around the small wound. “Now taking skin sample from Director Charlie Greenwell.” She did the same for each patient. “Observing Lieutenant Sera’s skin sample.” Looking into the microscope, she was surprised to recognize the ailment immediately. “The sample looks like Meningitis, but extremely excited and powerful. Will apply Oxygen therapy while testing skin samples with known treatments.” She got up, putting the oxygen masks on them, and immediately seeing better vitals. “Let the record know that vitals have grown to safe numbers… Now testing Cefotaxime.” She applied little by little, walking as the skin began to return to normal. “Cefotaxime has worked on Lieutenant Zim Sera’s skin sample. Administering medications now.” Walking to Zim, she put an I.V. into his arm and got him on the drug. “Now testing Director Charlie Greenwell’s skin sample. Let the record know I am using Cefotaxime.” It worked, but not as well as Zim. “Applying antihistamine.” She added the allergy drug, and red patches under the purple faded away along with it. “This solution has worked. Administering medications now.” She gave the medication to Greenwell, observing both of them. The purple on Zim has almost completely gone away, no doubt from the help of his PAK to keep him alive. Greenwell’s was slower, and after testing Nya and Dib’s, she administered the same to them. Slowly, they woke up. 

“What is this?” Zim asked, pointing to the I.V.

“It’s Cefotaxime. You all had extreme, fast-acting meningitis.” Greenwell sat up, looking down at their patient’s scrubs.

“Did you-”

“Yes, it was protocol, Director. No one else was in the room, and I’ll keep it to myself.” The Director nodded a little. Nya didn’t seem as unnerved to being dressed.

“We needed to get back into the field,” Dib said, about to step off. 

“Not so fast, Dibble,” She said, getting him back into bed. “I need to run a twenty four hour study after you all have woken up, then I take you off the medication to see how your body reacts. In those twenty four hours you will be sleeping here for the sleep study, and I will be doing blood work on all of you. Doctor Williams will run a full psychiatric exam on each of you, and Lieutenant Ibaara will perform the physical exam.” 

“It’s protocol, Dib,” Greenwell said, sighing softly.

“Indeed it is, Director Greenwell. And a part of that protocol, in hopes of helping you all relax a little, I am required to tell you that all pre-existing medical and mental problems that have been diagnosed will not go in the notes as a hindrance, but as something to ignore.” Dib was noticeably relieved. 

“Thank you, Doctor,” Zim said, gently taking Dib’s hand from across the aisle.

“It’s my job,” She said, smiling softly. She walked to the door and opened it, saying something, and suddenly Dennis, Saadiya, Brian, and Ferran were all in the room. Ferran went to Zim and Dib, hugging them both. 

“Good God, you two really need to stop playing like that-” She said, sighing softly as she let go. 

“Sorry,” Dib said, smiling a little.

“Seriously, boy,” Dennis said, ruffling his hair. “Don’t do that anymore. None of you should do this anymore. We need you guys… Even you, Nya.” Nya looked up and grinned a little. 

“Thanks, Dennis-Human.” He nodded with a smile, then shook Greenwell’s hand. “It’s great to see you back, Director.” Greenwell shook his hand firmly.

“Not out of the woods yet, Lieutenant. Thank you for keeping the crew under control.” As Dennis and Greenwell got to talking about the aftermaths of what happened during their unconscious state, Dib looked to Zim.

“Are you okay?” He asked softly. Zim nodded and kissed his hand. Dib smiled softly. He just had to pass these tests to get back to work, which he was sure he could do. Hopefully it would be smooth sailing from here.

 

The hardest part of it was the sleep study. They had gotten their blood work and their mental exams done, which was easy, and everything came back fine (after ignoring Dib’s clinical depression, which had already been diagnosed, and Nya and Zim’s underlying narcissism, which came with the whole Irken thing). But neither couple could reach out and hold each other. Neither couple could talk until they fell asleep. Dib and Zim were facing each other, giving each other the same upset look. They were freshly mated, they wanted to spend this time with one another. Nya and Charlie, however, had already fixed the problem. Nya came over, bringing her I.V. with her, and snuggled up to Charlie in the small medical bed. Dib and Zim wanted to follow protocol (well, Dib did, and Zim didn’t want to upset him). But after half an hour of being alone and half-assed sleep, Dib couldn’t take it anymore. He got up with his I.V., then got into bed with Zim. 

“Not a word,” Dib grumbled. Zim grinned a little.

“That’s my Dib.” 

“I said not a word. That sounded like words to me.”

Zim chuckled and kissed his head, wrapping one arm around his waist and other around his shoulders as Dib buried his face into Zim’s neck. 

“…I love you.” 

“I love you too, Dib-mate.”

 

When Eliza looked through the sleep study for that night as the four were taking their physical exam and found that, she thought it was incredibly cute. She discarded the inability to sleep and put it under partner deprivation, which was understandable on all accounts. There had been studies of being able to sleep better when being held, that the pressure helped ease anxiety, which was especially understandable with Dib. And, there had been studies that when they have grown used to that pressure, they can become dependent, and without it makes it uneasy to sleep. She thought it was sweet that Dib was able to find someone that makes him that happy, and she was happy that Director Greenwell found a way where they didn’t have to be in charge all the time. She imagined that would be incredibly stressful. That’s when she heard an odd noise that made her freeze. 

Turning around, her eyes fell on the machine.  _ Oh no. _

 

Squadron Victor, Greenwell, and Nya sat at their assigned table. Sodas were in Zim and Nya’s hands, whereas everyone else had water and juice. Saadiya raised her glass of water.

“A toast,” She said. “To Greenwell, Dib, Zim, and Nya for coming back from the dead and  _ still _ being able to pass your exams with flying colors.”

“It’s because you are a hard-ass instructor in training,” Dennis commented, and they all chuckled before bumping their glasses, cans, and juice boxes against one another, sipping from them. They began to eat their dinner, Dib leaning over and kissing Zim’s cheek before starting with the others. That’s when the door opened, and Dennis saw Eliza in tears. He got up and walked to her, gently taking her back outside. 

“Hey,” He said softly, gently cupping her cheeks, wiping her tears with his thumbs. “Talk to me, Boo, what happened? Someone try to hurt you?” She shook her head, Squadron Victor walking out to her.

“Doctor, what's wrong?” Greenwell asked. Eliza sniffled, hands shaking.

  
“Milano is dead.”


	10. Chapter 10

Dib and Zim didn’t talk much about Milano in the days following his death. Milano was cremated and his urn was sent to Earth on a small pod, with a letter explaining what had happened to him, and a medal of honor that only Director Greenwell themself could award.

 

Everyone had a hard time dealing with their mourning. Saadiya prayed for his happiness, and Ferran joined her sometimes. Milano was Saadiya’s second hand, he was the first person she would count on to make sure things got done when she couldn’t, or wasn’t there. But Saadiya grieved in private, knowing she had to be brave for them. Ferran cried often, and Brian would normally have to comfort her, because when she went off, so did he. Ferran could be found sleeping in his bed the first nights. Dennis stayed with Eliza in her quarters, comforting her and talking about everything, anything, but the matter at hand. He had to remind her how amazing she was with medicine, because she was beginning to doubt herself. Even Greenwell and Nya were taking it hard. Nya, who wasn’t very good at comforting, had to learn quick. Greenwell always hated writing to families about how their spouse, son, brother, or father died. Milano was no exception. And Zim?Zim was angry. He hated that he shared the same biological foundations as the people who murdered one of his friends. He hated the looks people gave him in the halls, as if Milano’s death was directly Zim’s fault. And most of all, he hated that Dib wouldn’t speak to him about what was going on in that giant head of his.

Oh, Dib.

Dib seemed to take it the worst out of all of them. He didn’t trust himself, as if everything that had happened was on him. He thought that everyone he loved or touched would die, or being in threat of dying, and it was simply because he couldn’t keep out of other people’s business. He wouldn’t be found in the mess hall, and if he was, he didn’t stick around, and he never spoke. Training had been cancelled, so he never worried about it. But he distanced himself from everyone - even Zim. Sometimes when they lay in bed holding each other, it was like Zim was on Irk, and Dib was on Earth. The distance between them was too much for Zim’s taste. So when Zim didn’t see Dib at the dinner table the third night in a row, he got angry.  _ How dare Dib let Zim worry like this?! How dare Dib ignore Zim?! How dare Dib feel this way?! Was the Zim not his mate? Did the Dib want to punish him, too?!  _ Zim marched to their bedroom in a rage, pushing open the door, and closing and locking it behind him. Dib looked up from his laptop, eyes weary and heavy, face pale.

“You are going to tell Zim was is on your mind, whether you like it or not! Or else I’m taking you to Williams to make you talk!” Dib seemed a little startled at the outburst, even flinched a little. But he didn’t speak. This enraged Zim more. “Are you that stupid that you won’t even tell  _ me _ what’s go on?! I love you, Dib, and you love me, has this changed?!” 

“No.” Dib’s voice was quiet, but… pleading. 

“Then why don’t you talk to me?!” Dib was quiet again, but he closed his laptop. Zim recognized that look on his face. It was one of fear and anxiety, as if he was looking for the right words to say. “Dib-”

“Stop!” Dib said, louder than intended, and cowered away from the echo a little. “Please don’t yell at me again…” Zim softened.

“Please tell me what’s wrong,” He begged softly, not moving forward, afraid of how Dib might react. “Zim is afraid for you.”

“You don’t need to be.”

“Yes, I do. I am your mate. That’s in the description. Is it… Is it Milano?” Dib flinched again at the name. “Is it his passing…? Because Saadiya and Ferran do that… that praying thing. They seem to be healing-” Dib did something that shocked Zim. He  _ laughed _ .

“I am the clone son of a scientist who believed that I’m nothing but a failed experiment. I don’t believe in a bigger meaning. Life is what it is, and sometimes it’s  _ shit. _ ” Dib stood up, stepping out from behind the table. “I would love to have faith in something. I would love to have all the answers for every question I have asked about Milano and his death, and Lex and her death, and Gaz and why she abandoned be when we were kids, and Dad and why he never cared, and those kids and why they hated me so much, and me, and why I’m still some  _ freak _ in this universe, and I have tried! I have tried every faith, anything that could give me an answer sufficient enough to tell me why,  _ why  _ am I the way that I am?! Why does everyone that I love seem to be dropping like flies?! What did I do to piss someone off  _ so bad  _ that my life is a living Hell?!” Tears fell down Dib’s cheeks as Zim stood there, unmoving. “I may never get those answers, and I have to be okay with that. I would like to believe that I’m something better than this  _ broken man _ , believe I’m something greater than this war, because then I don’t have to look at myself and see this shattered shell, and  _ no one _ has to pretend that they like me anymore.” Zim stared at him.

“After all this time, you still think we’re pretending?” He asked. Rage filled him once more. “Milano died to save this team, and that includes you-”

“Don’t you dare-”

“No! You wonder why we try?! You wonder why we’re in your life, why I love you, why I mated you?! Maybe, just  _ maybe _ , we care! Maybe we give a shit! And I am so tired of making it my fault that you can’t seem to see that! Maybe you don’t want to get better, is that it?! Trust me, I understand what it’s like to wallow and be the kicked puppy, because it’s easier that way! Because you get all the attention and love and coddling! Have you not stopped to think that I need you, too?! Or that they need you?! Seriously, you are one of the most  _ selfish _ , one of the most  _ crude _ people I have met, and that’s coming from someone who lived among people like that for years, and you know what I have to say to you?!”  _ Don’t say it. _ “You’d make one fucking  _ fantastic  _ Irken!”

The air stilled around Dib at this. 

All of those walls that Zim had torn down were suddenly right back up again. 

“Oh.” That was all Dib said, but soft, disappointed realization lay behind it. It didn’t seem to matter that Zim’s expression had changed from angry to horrified. With shaking hands, Dib took his laptop and a coat.

“Dib-mate, please, don’t go, I’m sorry-” Zim tried, genuine pain in his voice, but Dib couldn’t breathe. He walked out, lip trembling as he left, but he didn’t dare let Zim see him cry. Not this time. Not ever again.


	11. Chapter 11

Dib found himself in the place he wanted to be last; the observation room. Where he and Zim became mates. It was here that he finally let the water in his eyes fall. His face grew hot as he fell to his knees, face in his hands as he cried. Did Zim not want him anymore? Was he going to be forced to be his mate? He watched the Orok dangle through his fingers. His heart stirred unhappily. He shouldn’t be here, he should be on his knees, begging Zim to forgive him. But his mind told him that he had to stand his ground, otherwise Zim would never take him seriously, and think he’s some drama queen. Water droplets fell to the ground as he put the Orok through the head hole of his shirt. It was cold against his skin, where his heart beat beneath a solemn tune. He wiped at his tears, but they were too quick in their regeneration. His throat was raw from sobs, and his chest heaved. He never thought he’d ever cry this hard. A part of him felt like he was having a panic attack, but even if he was, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. He  _ was _ selfish. He was selfish for saying that no one loved him, when the person who had devoted their life to him was standing right in front of him. He was selfish for not talking about Milano’s death, and for not being there for his mate when he needed him. He was selfish for leaving. He had no right to be angry.

He looked up, tears glistening as he looked out at the stars. His scythe had dropped in front of his face, seemingly having given up just as much as he had. He looked out, as if the answer would just be there. He knew he was right. And he knew that Zim was right. He just didn’t know if he had it in him to apologize. He was suddenly beginning to realize how strong Ferran was for being able to just… say it. Dib supposed there was still a part of him that didn’t want to bend to Zim’s will and be the first to say it. A part of him was still challenged, threatened, possibly, by being the bigger person around Zim simply because Zim couldn’t be. But Zim wasn’t wrong, this time. Zim was right. Zim was  _ so  _ right. He still didn’t have it in him to say it, though. 

_ You are one of the most  _ selfish,  _ one of the most  _ crude  _ people I know! _

_ I know, I’m sorry, please forgive me. _

_ You would make a fucking  _ fantastic  _ Irken! _

_ Fuck you. _

Dib let his head hand once more. He’d really fucked up this time.

 

Zim was still in his state of shock when he went to breakfast the next day. He saw Dib collect his breakfast and walk out, not looking up from the ground. It reminded him too much of school, when he never fit in, and everyone hated him, when they exiled him to Monroe. He saw Nya place a hand on his shoulder, and possessiveness filled him, but Dib shrugged her hand off, said something, and left. Nya locked her gaze on Zim and walked over, sitting down across from him, making Ferran move over.

“What happened?” She asked, seriously.

“None of your business.”

“ _ What happened _ ?” Ferran butted in. Zim made a face. They resemble each other greatly.

“The Dib and I got into an argument.”

“How bad?” Ferran pressed.

“Very. I…” He sighed, holding his head in his hands as he recalled the events in his head. “We… We shared some words… He said that no one loved him… I told him he was selfish… And then I told him that he would make a great Irken.” Everyone at the table paused to look at him, eyes burning. “Dib left. I’m afraid that I went way too far… I know I went way too far. I know how wrong I am, please, don’t yell at me… I just…” He balled his hands into fists. “I want him back, and I was angry that he wasn’t talking to me about what happened. He didn’t have to go through that alone, and he needed to know that, and I conveyed that in a horrible way…” 

“Yeah, you did, but you were right,” Nya said. Everyone looked at her now, more shocked and angry. “Not about the Irken part, about the selfish part. You all love him, Zim loves him, even Greenwell loves him. This whole ship loves him, he discovered Vin and damn near killed him. He was selfish to think no one loved him, if you two have been through as much as you say you have together. That’s one thing he never should have doubted.”

“Yeah, but humans can over exaggerate when they’re upset,” Saadiya said from the end of the table.

“Since when has Zim been the reader of human behavior?” Nya returned. They paused to think, then nodded in agreement with her statement. “I’ll talk to Dib-thing. I’ll get his perspective and report.” Nya stood and left before anyone could argue with her.

 

Dib was back in the observation room, eating quietly when Nya sat beside him.

“I don’t really want to talk,” Dib mumbled.

“Tough,” Nya said. “Tell me what’s wrong with you and Zim.” Dib hesitated before telling her. No, this had nothing to do with her. But he didn’t want to make the same mistake twice, and he really needed to voice his concerns.

“Zim was right,” He said softly. “I’m selfish. I said no one likes me, right in front of him. After I finally made friends, after I mended my relationship with my sister and found a wonderful boyfriend… I’m selfish. He was right in saying that. But they he told me I would be a ‘fucking fantastic Irken’...” Dib went quiet for a moment, but Nya, for one, just shut up and listened. “I’m not, right?” She was surprised to hear how small his voice was, how unsure it sounded, and that she had asked her that question, of all people. “I’m not… I’m not like an Irken, right? I’m not like those monsters who killed Milano… who disowned and discredited my lover… who are trying to destroy my whole species… right?”

“No,” Nya said, softly. “You’re not.” Relief spread through Dib, slowly.

“But he said that… it means he believes it.”

“Irkens have a tendency to overreact.”

“But that doesn’t mean they don’t feel.” She was beginning to feel… not pity. Pity was demeaning and fleeting. She felt… She felt. She felt for Dib. Dib always acted so tough, she assumed that he was fine, but Greenwell had told him of his past, and this was the first glance Nya had seen of the afraid young boy beneath his brave exterior - the part of him he despised, the part of him that followed him around.

“Dib,” She said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Let go.” Dib looked at her.

“What?”

“Let go of that chip on your shoulder. Let go of that cowering little boy inside of you. Shed it like the skin of one of those snake-thingies you have on your home planet. That is the old you, this is who you are now. You are a soldier, you are a brother, a lover, and even a leader.” She turned toward him, placing her other hand on his shoulder, looking deep into his eyes. “I’m sorry that Alexandra is gone. And I’m sorry that Milano went with her. But it’s time to let go, forgive, and just let yourself be okay. You don’t need to be happy, you just need to be okay. And if you can’t be okay, tell your mate, tell your friends, Hell, you could even tell me, if you wanted to. But whatever hold Monroe had over you? Leave that on Earth. You’re here, now. You’re safe. Let go.” Tears had sprung back into Dib’s eyes as he suddenly leaned forward and hugged Nya, burying his face in her shoulder. She cautiously hugged back. She felt as if she were holding a smeet. When they pulled back, Dib wiped his tears. “Are you going to speak with the Zim?” She asked.

“Yeah,” He said. “Just… not yet. I think we both need some time.” Nya nodded and got up, ruffling his hair as she had seen Dennis do, and left. 

 

Zim had abandoned his seat at the table to be in the quarters that Dib and Zim had shared many of days and nights in, weeping, holding, screwing, sleeping, and being utterly in love. He stared at himself in the bathroom and stared at the Orok Dib had presented him, contemplating taking it off. He just knew Dib wasn’t going to accept his apologies. But if he took it off, the glass would shatter, and he and Dib wouldn’t be mated anymore. It had only been a few weeks, and everything already felt like it was breaking apart. That glass sphere would just be the true end of it. He looked down, burying his face into the palms of his hands. He was so afraid, and lonely. He wanted to apologize. But what did he have to apologize for, besides the one remark? What if Dib and him didn’t see things the same way? What if they never were able to pull themselves back together? What if Zim was destined to a life of loneliness? What if once Dib turned, everyone else turned, and he would be killed, or worse? 

Zim choked back a sob. He had made friends. The thought that they were only there for them was because Dib was his mate made Zim want to throw up. He needed Dib, even if he didn’t care to admit it. He needed him here, he needed him now, before he did something stupid.

And so, Zim stumbled out of the bathroom, out of their quarters, beginning his frantic search for Dib. But the second he stepped out, he was shoved against a wall, and he saw three men, eyes narrowed.

“Milano would be alive if you had never come to Earth,” One growled. “If you’re fucking species stayed in its lane then none of us would be here.”

“I did not kill Milano!” Zim hissed, but they punched him across they face, and two held him down against the ground as the other began to hurt him, cursing at him. Zim went to scream but a hand clamped down over his mouth. Twice more, a foot slammed down on Zim’s mid section and Zim wrapped his long tongue around the hand. With a horrified, disgusted shriek, the man retracted his hand, and Zim let out a high-pitched cry. It was one that the Irkens had taught him, one he was to release if he was being tortured, to tell other Irkens if he was alive.

Nya picked up on this immediately.

She took Dennis’ gun and grabbed Dib from the observatory.

“What happened?” Dib asked, following her.

“Zim’s in trouble.” Dib didn’t need much more explanation.

 

When they arrived at the scene, it didn’t take long for Dib to react.

“Stop!” Dib cried, running forward faster than Nya was able to aim, throwing away feeling of unsureness and pain, all of it being replaced with anger. His fist connected with the man who had been kicking Zim, right in the skull. Dib hear his knuckle fracture reopen as the man felt to the ground, holding his head. The other men came at Dib and Dib, with his already injured hand, punched one across the face. A tooth came out, and they fell unconscious. A cruel crack and a sharp pain told Dib it was more than a fracture - it was a complete break. Nya took the last guy, shooting his knee, and being careful not to shoot any arteries, and he fell with a yelp of pain.

“Get over it, asswipe,” She hissed. Dib was kneeled beside Zim, cradling him.

“Zim- Zim, I’m sorry, I love you, you were right, so right,  _ please _ don’t leave me, I need you so much I-” Zim placed a finger over his lips.

“Eliza first, apologies later. I love you too, Dib-mate.” Dib nodded as people came to grab the three men, and Dib carried Zim to the medical ward. The three men went to the other doctor as Eliza was preparing the medical ward. She pulled open the blinds as they rushed in, and she put on gloves before pulling off Zim’s shirt to observe the damages. There were purple bruises prominent against his skin. “Doctor,” Zim said, voice weak. “The PAK will assist in the healing process and keep me alive - you do what you need to. I’ve got- ah - three broken ribs, but nothing was punctured.” Eliza nodded and helped Zim sit up. Dib held Zim’s hand as Eliza cracked the bones back into place. She then helped Zim lay down, when she caught a glimpse of Dib’s hand. 

“Holy Hell,” She said, taking it gently. “You opened your fracture against that guy’s skull.”

“And broke it completely against the other guy’s teeth.” 

“Fucking hell, Dib-”

“He will only need a cast,” Zim said. “None of the bone has chipped off. Just a dislodged knuckle.”

“Then this is gonna hurt like a motherfucker-” Eliza popped it back into place and went to start making the cast. Dib let out a silent scream, hissing in pain, but he made his way to Zim’s side and sat beside him, tears still in his eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” Dib whispered. “You’re right. I am selfish. You’re completely right, and I’m sorry, I… I will try to change. Just please don’t… don’t go…” Zim reached forward, cupping his jaw softly.

“I’m not going anywhere. You are my Dib, and I’ll be damned if we don’t make it out of this.” Dib leaned into his hand. “That being said… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. You are nothing like an Irken. You are sweet, and kind, and the only person I would ever consider spending the rest of my life with. Irkens are too… violent. And egocentric. You care. You always have. That’s one of the main reasons why I fell in love with you.” Dib kissed his palm softly as Daskerand came over with the adjustable cast and strapped it onto his hand.

“Don’t fuck up your hand. Next time, it could be permanent.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She made a face.

“Don’t say that. You make me sound old.” Dib smiled a little. “Zim, how fast is your Pak working?”

“It’s working on the second rib right now. It’s already fixed the first.”

“Then you can stay here until those bruises clear up.” Eliza left to help the other Doctor with the three men who had attacked Zim. Dib looked to Zim. 

“Is it okay to cuddle?” He asked.

“Just be careful, and help me adjust.” Dib helped him shift to one side of the bed, then got in beside him. He rested his head on Zims’ shoulder, arm draping around his hips, under the bruises.

“I would have killed them.” Zim chuckled softly, wrapped an arm around him. 

“I know, love.” Dib smiled and looked up at him, kissing him softly. A moment later, Zim pulled back to look him in the eye. “Does this mean we can finally speak about what is wrong?” Dib tensed a little, but nodded softly. Slowly, Dib began to talk.


	12. Chapter 12

“A lot of hat I said during the fight is what I am going to say now, but hopefully I’ll impart it more clearly,” Dib said, already unable to keep a steady gaze with the Irken. “When Lex died, that was the most angry I had ever been. I didn’t let myself mourn, I was just so pissed, and it was easier to take it out on the Irkens. I was in shock those five days after Lex, and I didn’t realize what was going on inside my head. I didn’t really…. Think about it, to be honest with you. But as time went on, I started to realize the after effect of her death. Something inside me broke when I heard that she was gone. I never got to save her, I never got to see her, Hell, I never even got to meet her son. He’d be seven, now.” Dib wanted to cry, but the tears just wouldn’t come out. Forget anything he had ever said about crying - sometimes it was a relief to know you weren’t completely fucked in the mind. “I don’t mean to make it sound like I  _ wanted _ to go back, I didn’t, but… I should have done something, sooner… And I was starting to get over her death when Milano died, and I just… broke down even more. Milano was the person who drove us back from the mental hospital after that day, do you remember? He was the first person, after you, to comfort me. He promised me that no one would make fun of me for crying and throwing up at the thought of Monroe and Lex…” Dib stopped for a moment to collect himself. His stomach turned as he remembered the events in the mental ward, and forced himself to relax. “And now he’s gone. Gone like Lex. And then I remembered how Eliza got attacked because I couldn’t find the second spy fast enough. And now you’re hurt for something that wasn’t your fault, and that is on me. It feels like everyone I care for is going to get hurt. That’s why I distanced myself. That’s why I didn’t eat around you guys. I was… afraid. And selfish. I left you guys when you needed me, without thinking of how you felt. I’m so sorry, Zim...”

“You should have just told me, Dib-mate,” Zim said softly, wrapping his other arm around him as his second rib healed. 

“I know… I’m sorry…”

“Stop apologizing. You know you were wrong, and you know that what I said was wrong. We can move past it, now.” He kissed the top of his head. “Right now, I need you, and they need you. Let’s just do our best from here on out.” Dib nodded gently. “I love you, Dib-monkey.”

“I love you too, alien boy.”

 

When Dib and Zim finally left the infirmary, the others were spread out across the ship. Breakfast had been eaten, and this was normally the time they would be training, but training had been cancelled until they could find someone to transfer into Milano’s spot. Dib believed they were holding off the interviews for that, none of them wanted to replace Milano. So Dib and Zim went off in search of finding them, needing to be around their family. Dib would speak with Gaz later, when she was awake. Time really was fucked up in space. They found Greenwell and Nya first. Nya was sat in Greenwell’s lap, arms draped around their shoulders, holding them as Greenwell released a shaky sigh. This was a tell sign that Greenwell had been crying, and Dib began to leave. This wasn’t a good time. 

“Dib? Zim?” A voice asked. He turned; Greenwell, arms still around Nya’s waist had spotted them.

“Director Greenwell… we can come back later-”

“What happened to your hand?” Dib looked down at his cast.

“There was a fight.” Greenwell’s face hardened. “Three guys attacked Zim. Two held him down, one kicked him. Nya and I came and I attacked… Nya shot one of them in the leg.” Greenwell looked at her, opening their mouth to ask why she hadn’t told them, but Nya spoke first.

“I was going to tell you, but when I came in, you needed comforts.” Greenwell gave a faint smile and kissed her cheek before helping Nya down, then stood up.

“Where are these men now?” They asked.

“Medical ward… They aren’t in good shape.” Dib’s jaw tightened. Damn right they aren’t in good shape. He put an arm around Zim’s shoulders protectively. “Dib totally went psycho! He attacked before I had a shot, he opened his fracture against the first guy’s skull, and completely broke it when he punched the other guy in the mouth. The guy  _ lost his tooth! _ Badass!” Nya seemed particularly excited about Dib’s ability to protect his lover, but he knew it was just because Irkens enjoy violence. He saw the same proud and excited look in Zim’s eyes, a tiny grin on his cheeks as Zim wrapped an arm around Dib’s waist.

“Relax there, love,” Greenwell said. Nya did so, but when Greenwell looked away, she gave Dib two thumbs up, mouthing ‘Kick-ass!’ at him. Dib grinned a little. “Take me to them.” And so, Dib and Zim let the two toward the medical ward, opening the door. “What is the diagnosis, Doctor?” 

“Jamison has a fractured skull and bruised cheekbone, Michaels has one missing tooth, but his jaw is… fucked up. It’ll need to be wired. We were able to get the bullet out of Kelsey’s leg with minimal difficulty. All but Michaels is expected to make a full recovery - Michaels will probably have some sort of tooth necrosis.” Greenwell raised an eyebrow. “The nerves in his gums have died. His teeth will probably just die, but if caught early enough, it’ll look like a root canal. But he will need to have a dental check up every week.” Dib almost felt apologetic.

“Good. I’m glad they’ll live. But they are suspended for two months - where are their guns?” they were handed to her, and Greenwell turned to Dib, Zim, and Nya. “Congratulations, you can now carry weapons on board.” She gave one to each of them.

“Thank you,” Dib said, smiling softly. Zim nodded, and Nya and the alien shared a similar glance.

“I have no problem taking it away, you two,” Greenwell chided. Dib chuckled. 

“Goodluck with that.”

It was then that Ferran walked in, looking startled. 

“Oh-Uh, I’ll come back-”

“No,” Eliza said. “I’m just about done. Go ahead and wait in my office, I’ll be there in a moment.” Ferran nodded and walked away.

“What’s up with her?” Greenwell asked.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss my patients information, Director Greenwell,” Eliza said, finishing up with Michaels. Greenwell nodded as Eliza walked out, leaving the four in the room with the three harmed men.

 

Eliza closed the door behind her. 

“How can I help you, Lieuten-”

“I think I’m pregnant.” The room was quiet, and Eliza looked at her. 

“Aren’t you married?”

“No, I’m not. It was a part of my fake memory.” She began to pace. “We were so careful, too, and I can’t be pregnant, I just  _ can’t-” _

“Who were you careful with?” She asked. “It’s important to know the patriarch, we’ll need to check his medical records.” Ferran looked to her, heart racing.

“Brian Huong.”


	13. Chapter 13

Eliza’s eyebrows raised high.

“I was in the spur of the moment- One second I was talking with him, the next I was…”

“Obviously not talking with him. I understand,” Daskerand said. “And I would like to remind you that this is completely confidential, so that’s one less thing for you to worry about. But can you answer some questions for me?” She nodded. “When did you and Brian have sex?”

“Two months ago.”

“Is that the last time you got your period?” She nodded once more. “Experiencing nausea, mood swings, cravings, headaches?”

“All of the above.”

“Then let’s take a blood test.”

Blood was drawn, and the test results were exactly what Ferran predicted. Eliza looked to her, and gave her an apologetic glance.

“You are pregnant.” Ferran sighed, sitting down and holding her head in her hands.

“What am I gonna do?” She asked. “Will I have to stop training on a dishonorable discharge? Will this baby even be born on  Earth? Jesus Christ, this kid isn’t gonna have a nationality-”

“Well, maybe you should start by telling Brian,” Eliza said, sitting beside her. “And I came prepared to deliver a child, it’s my job… and you can’t have an involuntary discharge, but regulations tell me that I have to report this to Director Greenwell. You will not be an active soldier in the duration of your pregnancy, and this ends when the pregnancy ends, whether that be through termination or delivery. And, since you’d be giving birth on U.S. federal property, _technically_ the child would be American.” Ferran nodded a little.

“Okay… I’ll talk to Brian, and… we’ll decide if we want to keep the baby or not.” Eliza gave a soft smile.

“And off the record,” Eliza said, placing a hand on her back. “I am here for you not only as a Doctor, but as a friend.” Ferran smiled softly.

“Thank you.” After a brief hug, Ferran left, and Eliza walked back to Greenwell, Nya, Zim, and Dib.

“Director Greenwell,” Daskerand said. “May I speak to you, please?” Greenwell nodded and they stepped outside.

“Doctor?”

“This is one of those rare times when I’m obligated to tell you what’s going on.”

“You think Lieutenant Cortéz is incapable of doing her job?”

“Lieutenant Cortéz is pregnant.”

“With whose baby?”

“I’m not at liberty to say. But she is about two months along, going to hit three very soon.” Director Greenwell paused before replying.

“Alright. I will speak to the Lieutenant to discuss her options.”

“I will pass the message onto her. Right now, she has chosen to bring the father into the picture, and needs to discuss with him.” Greenwell nodded.

“Thank you, Doctor… For the time being, I will have Special Intel Corto dock the ship. I think everyone is getting a little stir crazy, and I could use some time to sort of the Rowdy 3 and this.” Eliza nodded and they parted ways.

Director Greenwell looked stressed as they walked back into the room.

“Director? You alright?” Dib asked.

“Yes. But we will be docking soon. Special Intel Corto - I will need your assistance.” Nya smirked.

“Always do.” She winked playfully before leaving with them. Dib and Zim walked to their stations, holstering their weapons. They assisted Nya in docking on the planet below, after making sure it was safe for humans. The planet was called Praeclarus, it reminded Dib of a futuristic Seattle. Dib and Zim shared a small smile. It was still awkward, after the fight, but it almost reminded Dib of when they were still in their crush phase. They went to their quarters and packed up, preparing for a few weeks in the planet below. Dib believed it would eventually become a tradition between the two, sharing a hotel room on new planets wherever they docked, should it be overnight. Zim never forgot that Dib wanted to see the stars, that he wanted to experience it for himself. As much as he wanted to tell him that he experienced the stars during that battle, he knew what the Dib meant. He spoke of that perfect idea of the stars all those years ago, and though they were they were incorrect and not accurate in any way, shape, or form, Zim thought it was sweet, in a naive kind of way. But he would never tell Dib that. He remembered, clearly, what happened the last time anyone called Dib naive. He wasn’t willing to risk that.

So they walked out onto Cibus, with the crowd. The crowd went to the city for food and a good time - Dib and Zim immediately went to the hotel. They would get the first chance, should anyone decide to follow their lead. They got the most expensive room Zim could bargain for, which was quite a lot. Dib looked to Zim, eyebrow raised.

“I may or may not have swiped a rather rich man’s card,” He said. DIb’s eyebrows raised.

“You-”

They got up to the room, and Dib shut up immediately. It was gorgeous! It was a sun-kissed orange and white, the floors carpeted, with a small kitchenette with elaborate appliances. There was a bar, packed and pre-paid for. Dib saw a balcony that looked out over the purple ocean. There were lots of windows, with thick white curtains. There was a door that he was sure lead to the bathroom. Peering in, the bathtub was wide enough for both him and Zim. There was also a shower that he was sure he would need Zim’s help to control. The floor was tiled a soft pink that went well with the walls. He walked back out to the room. The bed was circular and just off-center to the rest of the room. There were sheer curtains around it, and above was-

A mirrored ceiling. Dib’s cheeks turned red. That would be fun. But now is not the time. Zim began to unpack, and Dib followed suit.

“So, Dib-mate,” He hummed. “Would you like to experience a _real_ pool?” Dib quirked a curious eyebrow.

“Yes.”

After getting into swimsuits, Dib grinned as he saw Zim. Zim wore what looked like swim trunks -  if they were briefs. Pink and purple, horizontally striped, hydrophobic material stretched over Zim’s wide hips. His Orok fell on his chest, and Dib’s grin turned into a warm smile. It meant so much to him now, and he began to wonder why he and Zim has ever fought.

“Dib-thing, my eyes are up here.” Dib looked up, catching Zim’s teasing smirk.

“Pool?” He asked, changing the subject.

“Pool. But don’t think I’ll forget that.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, alien-boy.” With a grin, they grabbed towels and walked up to the pool, which was on the top of the building. Dib was surprised that no one was there, but was glad to have that moment to themselves, watching the twin suns set on the horizon. Dib looked to the pool. It definitely wasn’t water. It looked more like… canola oil. He felt it. It was definitely some kind of oil. WIthout hesitation, Zim dove into the oil. He was a strong swimmer, and he was able to hold his breath for some time. Dib set his glasses on a chair with his towel. He was careful with his cast, only staying in the shallow end, Zim swimming over to him. He got up, wiping the oil from his face, smiling softly.

“Much better than your dumb pools.” Dib rolled his eyes, kissing Zim softly. Zim kissed back, oiled hand coming up to cup his cheek. Dib let himself relax, his own hand finding the small of Zim’s back in the oil, and pressing him to his chest.

Perfection.

 

Ferran grabbed the back of Brian’s collar when he tried to leave with the crowd. She gently pulled him to their quarters, closing the door behind them. She felt Brian’s hands on her waist, then sliding his arms to encircle her waist and hold her near. Her back hit his chest softly, and his kissed her temple.

“Yes, Love?” He cooed softly into her ear.

“Something’s happened,” She whispered, turning in his arms. A flash of concern drifted over his face in seconds.

“What’s wrong?” He asked. Tears sprang to her eyes.

“I’m pregnant,” She said. “I understand if you want to get rid of them, and I understand if you don’t want to speak to me ever again, I just-” Brian pulled her into a hug, joy filling him.

“This is amazing!” He said softly, kissing at her cheek and neck. “I would love to have kids… that is, if you are willing, I don’t want to pressure you into having kids. I wouldn’t think any less if you wanted to terminate.” Ferran shook her head softly.

“I… I want kids. I want _your_ kids.” Brian smiled and kissed her deeply. She kissed back, but parted when someone knocked on the door.

“Director Greenwell would like to speak with you both,” Eliza’s voice sounded through the door. Ferran gently took Brian’s hand and they followed Eliza to Greenwell’s office.

Walking in, Greenwell was writing the demotions of the three men who had attacked Zim. They looked up.

“Thank you, Doctor,” Greenwell said. Eliza nodded and left, going back to her station. Brian and Ferran sat before the Director, holding hands, both looking anxious. “I’m not demoting or suspending either of you.” Relief filled them. “But Ferran, I’m sure you’re aware you won’t be on duty anymore, and Brian, you are responsible for Ferran’s post, now. Lieutenant Membrana will get your position, and Special Intel Corto will take the communications and flying. That is, unless you two plan to abort?”

“No,” Ferran said. “We’ve decided to keep them.” Greenwell smiled a little.

“Congratulations. We will assist in building some form of nursery or family room for you three, Doctor Daskerand will be your primary prenatal and postnatal Doctor.” Nya, who was eavesdropping from the other side of the room, perked up.

“You’re having a smeet?” She said, voice higher in pitch, and eyes excited. Greenwell turned to look at their mate.

“What did you think they were having?”

“A tapeworm,” She said. “Do you know the gender yet?”

“Not for another month or so,” Ferran chuckled, smiling.

“Congratulations!” Nya said, coming over and hugging her. Ferran hugged back, holding off tears. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but hugging the person she still saw as her sister meant alot to her, especially right now. Nya frowned when she pulled back and saw the tears. “What is wrong, Ferran?”

“Nothing. It’s hormones. Don’t worry about me.” Greenwell gave a knowing smile.

“Well, you two get some fresh air before we have wheels up tomorrow. That’s an order.” After thanking the Director one more time, the couple left, ecstatic, walking toward a baby store.

 

When the suns had set, Dib and Zim got out. They wiped down with the towels, and went to their hotel room once more. The mirrored ceiling caught his glance once more, and though he planned to make full use of that, he needed to shower first. Walking into the bathroom, he found a small tablet in the wall, with what looked like the Periodic table. He typed in H2O and warm water fell like rain. He stepped in, sighing softly as it hit his back. The pressure was perfect - he didn’t know how tense his back was. He saw a dispenser come out of the wall, and he put his hand out. It squirted out was looked and felt like shampoo. It was probably a sulfate based shampoo, which wasn’t great for his hair, but he wasn’t concerned. He scrubbed it into his hair. It smelt like sweet green apple, bubbles forming on his scalp and sliding down his body, toward the drain. Once the gross grease was replaced with soft silk, another dispenser came out. Eagerly, he put his hand under it, and out came conditioner. He scrubbed it into his hair. It didn’t bubble as much, but he rinsed his hands when the final dispenser came out. It was a green apple body wash, and he slid it over his body easily, his skin becoming instantly soft, with the scent not becoming strong or demanding. He rinsed his hair and body all at once, the dispensers pulled back, and the water stopped. He stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist. He went to the sink and shaved, the raver gliding over his sharp features with ease. The aftershave was a familiar scent - one of green apples. It was perfect. He walked out, and when Zim moved to go into the bathroom, he caught scent of Dib.

“Dib-mate-” He said, eyes widening, and it looked like he was almost… drooling.

“Yes?” He asked, smirking as he pulled out his clothes.

“You…” He swallowed a little. “You smell very sweet.” Then, Zim promptly hurried into the bathroom. Dib chuckled, then pulled his towel off and put on a green t-shirt, blue boxers, and a pair of grey skinny jeans with converse. He towel-dried his hair and combed it. Zim walked out, looking just as clean as Dib felt. He smelt like strawberries when he passed by - Dib’s favorite fruit. When Zim dressed, they went to dinner together, hand-in-hand.

 

The food was wonderful. This entire planet was just perfect with portions and resort-esque things, Dib didn’t leave heavy or bursting full, or starving and light. He felt perfectly full. Zim said it was their specialty. Getting back to the hotel room, Dib brushed his teeth, and just when he had finished, he saw the bathroom door open, and hands were against his chest and hips, mouth on his neck. Dib grinned and turned.

“This time, I treat you.” Zim looked up at him, surprised and curious. Dib leaned down and kissed him, cupping his cheeks. Zim pawed at his shirt as they made their way to bed, discarding pieces of clothing as they went. The bed was soft, the linens weighted just slightly. The curtains closed automatically, and the lights went off. The moonlight that shown through the windows (which were actually one-way mirrors, surprisingly enough) was enough light to see themselves in the mirror above. Dib laid Zim down on his back and straddled him, Zim’s hands clinging to Dib’s waist. Dib lowered himself onto Zim’s member,  moaning softly into the darkness of the room, accompanied by Zim’s own groan.

The movements of raising and lowering were slow and deliberate, and Dib knew that it was driving Zim crazy. But was drove Zim even further was the fact the Dib knew that he was going crazy, and that green-apple sweetness that seemed to radiate from him. He took it for a few more moments before leaning to the side, taking Dib’s wrists and pinning him down, eyes full of lust. Dib suddenly lost his breath went he saw the deepness of them, how needy Zim really was, and how much he loved him. And when Zim heard Dib’s once even breathing scatter, he knew he had him exactly where he wanted him. He leaned down, kissing at his jaw so Dib could get a good look of that expression he spoke about all the time after all these years, knowing that Dib was dying to get a good look of their moment.

And oh good God, he did.

His cheeks were red and his eyes were wide, lips turned up in an almost-smile, looking completely ardent in his situation. His lips were swollen from the pressure of Zim’s kiss. Eyes traveling down, he found his hands, sinking into bed, one of Zim’s claws placing direct pressure on his palm to keep his hand from moving. He didn’t have to look to know that his other hand was in the same position. He saw Zim’s back, smooth and a soft green, and the linens cut off the rest of his view to what lay below his hips. And on que, those hips moved forward, and Dib’s eyes snapped back to his face when his eyes fluttered and a moan spilled from his lips. Zim’s back rippled and went rigid with each movement. Satisfied with what he saw, Dib closed his eyes and let himself feel.

Perfection.


	14. Chapter 14

After a cool down on the planet below, Director Greenwell called the crew together, to both ships.

“I’m tired of being caught without preparation,” She told them. “We have lost one of our own, we almost lost two more. We can’t afford to lose more.” Nya gave a guilty look from within the crowd. “I’m not saying our Intel has been exhausted, but I am saying that we need to get ahead, somehow. I don’t want to have a hostage situation, so we aren’t going in undercover. Any ideas?” Dib and Zim shared a look, and both started to think, hard. Then, Zim had the look of epiphany.

“Director Greenwell,” He said. “Do you still have the chip that was in Vin’s head?”

“Yes.”

“Dib could hack into that. Irkens have a hive mind-” Everyone stared at him warily. “-I was disconnected from it when they disowned me, and Nya’s was shorted when Lieutenant Clay tasered her.” They relaxed, and Dennis gave her an apologetic look, and Nya shrugged in reply. “But if we have access to that, we have access to any and all knowledge the Irkens have, including blueprints, rumors, secrets, weaponry-”

“Lieutenant Membrana, could you do that? You can still read Irken, right?”

“I’m a little rusty, but I could hack into Irken tech.”

“I can make a translator,” Nya said. She knew how mutinies could go - don’t ever trust the traitor. Trust the technology. 

“Good! Then it’s set. And to the rest of you all soldiers, get ready - we need to prepare. We are going to attack the Irken while they are still down.” The crowd cheered, but Zim had to keep himself from speaking. He very much doubted that the Irkens were down. Perhaps they weren’t flying, but they were always ready for an attack. Well, most of the time. Nya seemed to be thinking the same thought when their gazes met, worry a familiar shadow cast over both of their expressions. 

 

Ferran, Brian, and Doctor Daskerand were in the medibay, sure they would get caught up on what was said during the meeting later. It was a good time to have an ultrasound, when no one was on board, and privacy is almost completely guaranteed. The gel was cold on her belly, and Ferran frowned. Brian kissed the top of her head and took her hand, Ferran’s frown melting away a little as she looked up at him, a tiny smile finding its way onto her face. A noise sounded through the room, originating from the screen, and the two parents froze momentarily.

“That’s their heartbeat,” Eliza said, sounding a little astonished herself. “It’s strong.” Ferran squeezed Brian’s hand, tears in his eyes prominent. The sudden realization that he was really going to have a child was powerful. He’d always wanted a kid, ever since he was a kid. The thought of something so small and so gentle with so much potential that was a part of him made him feel hopeful for the next generation, and he knew that his little one would be so smart, so beautiful, so strong, because they were Ferran and his child. He kissed Ferran’s hand softly, chest swelling with adoration for his girlfriend and baby. 

Ferran was full of excitement. After finding out who she really was, she didn’t think she was capable of having children. That was something she didn’t deserve. But not one month later, here she was, pregnant and in a relationship. Much happier than she had ever been in her life. When she heard that heartbeat, she felt those demons detach from her heart, and the warm love of an expecting mother took its place. Her free hand found the side of her slightly swollen stomach, gently caressing it with her thumb. She promised to never let anything happen to this small bundle of joy. 

“I could tell you the gender,” Eliza said, smiling softly, excitement on her face. Ferran and Brian shared a look, them grinned wide and looked to Eliza.

“Yes, please,” Ferran said. 

“You are having a…”

 

It didn’t take long for the translator to be made. Dib had already hacked into the chip, Irken technology wasn’t nearly as complicated as Nya and Zim talked it up. They always seem to forget that he has been familiar with Irken tech and programming since he was eleven. They had hooked it up to Dib’s desktop in the control room, something that had a little more power than his laptop. The translator was hooked in, revealing more and more as Dib got in deeper. But, it was only once he got past the last firewall that they got anything of significance. The words flashed onto the screen, and Dib grinned. 

“You are fucking beautiful, Dib Membrana,” Nya said, scanning over the page. Zim gave a growl. “Oh, get over yourself, Zim.” Zim gave a grumble, and Dib chuckled, kissing his temple. 

Dib hadn’t been looking for anything in particular when he was looking through the files. But he was surprised to see his own name on the screen. He shouldn’t have been, he knew how many times Zim had mentioned him to the Tallests during their transmissions, but he never thought they took any particular interest in him. But, upon reading when they knew of him, he found the wording to be… familiar. 

_ Dibble J. Membrane _

_ He is a clever human. He knows how to take a hint, and is quite persistent. He can withstand medication and intense sedatives. Stronger human with no doubt, but definitely has some sort of mental problem… suspected Panic Disorder paired with Clinical Depression.  _

Dib felt himself grow nauseous. He continued to read, heart racing until he saw the signature at the end. 

_ Ora Mon _ .

Deborah Monroe.

_ Doctor _ Deborah Monroe.

Dib felt himself stand up and push away from the desk. Anxiety washed over him like a tidal wave, leaving behind nothing but destruction and pain. His mind was spinning, ears ringing without any sort of blast or hit. He could barely hear Zim and Nya’s voice. He felt like he was waking up from a nightmare only to find himself in another, darker nightmare. He could see it all, now. The entirety of the situation. Just how far back it went, just how much he mattered in this story. Unwanted realization came at him left and right.  _ Lex said she was a liar. Did she know that Monroe was an Irken? _ How could she have known? As clever as she was, she didn’t believe in aliens.  _ Did they put some sort of alien sedative in him?  _ Probably. And he  _ survived.  _ That probably had something to do with his father’s experiments, wanting to make the genetically perfect son, able to withstand anything and everything. But why did this shock him? Dib was not a little boy anymore, he was a man. He was aware of this change, like a snake shedding old skin, but he knew that he had left something behind in that old skin. Optimism. Not for humanity, more like survival. He believed that everything would be okay, but now he isn't too sure. 

He began to ask himself what had taken its place? Pessimism? Realism? Fear? No, that wasn't it. Dib found himself walking back to his room in deep contemplation, but his motions were hurried. Was it pain? Was it bliss? No., that wasn't it either. He concluded that it was nothing. There was a piece of his mind that was simply nothingness, emptiness, where his youthful, naive perspective had once inhabited. He closed the door behind him, and his frantic movements came to a stop. Seized in the depths of his thoughts, he continued. He couldn't remember the last time he felt youthful, if youthful was a synonym for contentedness and fondness for the whole of his situation. Perhaps he had a taste of it in his moments with Zim, in the darkness of the night. But he was never completely happy. Was that his fault? Could it still be that Dib just simply wasn't okay? Had he taken people for granted again? No. He hadn't. Dib felt a spark of something in his soul, looking at the situation once more. The Irken have controlled his life for so long. Dib didn't have a piece of nothingness in himself. He had a piece of pure rage, a desperate need to be his own person, independent, with no external force from anyone or anything attempting to sway him. Not the Tallests, not Director Greenwell, not Saadiya, not Zim, not even God himself! Dib had never felt like his own person. He balled up his fists.   
_ No more. _

_ No more! _

A hand on his shoulder dragged him out of his mind and he looked up to see Zim, looking worried.

“Dib?” Dib didn’t respond right away. Not until Nya crept into the room, looking concerned. Dib stood up.

“Did you know?” He asked, seething. Nya looked vaguely intimidated. 

“Know what?”

“Did you know that Doctor Monroe was an Irken?!” Now she was genuinely afraid.

“No,” She said, voice shaking a little.

“Bull! You had a hive mind-” He looked to Zim, eyes wide. “Did you?”

“What? Of course not!” Zim said. “If I knew that horrible thing was an Irken, I would have left a long time ago!”

“Not back then. Back then, you hated me.” Dib’s knees shook.

“I could never hate anyone that much,” Zim said, voice pleading.  _ Please, stay with me. _

“How am I supposed to be sure?” Zim’s exterior changed. 

“This again? Really?!”

“Don’t you fucking try to pull this shit again!” Dib screamed in his face, and Zim’s antennae lowered a little. “Don’t you dare tell me I’m not allowed to be upset! I am not questioning your love now, only your hate, then! If you knew that Monroe was an Irken, and if you hated me as much as I thought you did, how could I possibly be positive that you didn’t know?! And don’t you try to turn this on me again! I am allowed to be upset! I am allowed to scream and cry and get angry! You cannot, you  _ will not _ disregard me like that again! So tell me, did you know?!” Zim’s gaze fell to the floor.

“I did not. I have been disconnected from the hive mind ever since they found out I was defective.” Dib turned to Nya.

“The hive mind normally only comes through PAKs,” She said. “I knew a lot. But I didn’t know that much.” Dib walked to the other side of the room, trying to stop the thoughts that told him to act out. Nya looked to Zim and left, Zim closing the door gently behind her.

“If I hurt you that much, you should have told me,” Zim murmured. Dib gave a laugh.

“And risk being told I was selfish and not allowed to feel this way?” He asked. “Fine. Zim, that hurt. It hurt  _ a lot.  _ You told me that I was a good candidate for the people who I now know for sure ruined my life. I tried to block out my emotions for years in a desperate attempt forget what they did to me. But apparently I’m selfish. Apparently I am not allowed to be upset.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“How the fuck was I supposed to take it?”

“I meant that you shouldn’t be upset and not tell anyone.”

“Every time that I try, shit like this happens!” Zim looked at him, and Dib couldn’t help but really notice his smallness in that moment. Not his height, but how much it seemed like he wanted to melt away. Dib was beginning to regret ever having brought it up.

“Can we just be okay?” He asked. “I’m so tired of feeling like we are thousands of miles apart. I don’t want to fight. And I don’t want to think about Monroe, or Membrane, or the Tallests. I only want to be yours and no one else’s, and just… be okay.” Dib knew he was too drawn into Zim’s rarely-seen neediness to say no. He walked over to Zim and wrapped his arms around him. Zim wrapped his arms around Dib’s middle.

“I’m here,” Dib murmured, kissing the top of his head. 

_ I’m here. _


	15. Chapter 15

As soon as word got to Greenwell about Monroe, they rushed to their office hurriedly. Monroe needed to be put down, immediately. They quickly made a video call with Elliot Jordan, the man they had left in charge of the facility. Jordan saluted Director Greenwell as he came up on screen.

"Director Greenwell, this was not our scheduled meeting."

"This is a matter of humanity's survival, Jordan." Elliot squared his shoulders. "You know where Deborah Monroe his held, yes?"

"Yes."

"Kill her. Now. She is in alliance with the alien threat." Jordan was quiet, face looking guilty and caught. "Jordan, you didn't make a deal with her, did you?"

"Director Greenwell, I-"

"That'll be enough, Jordan." Monroe came onto the screen, wearing a long lab coat, slacks, heels, and a red button-down. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Director Greenwell." Hatred welled in Greenwell's chest. "This is a very quaint place you have. You shouldn't have left."

"I'll kill you." It's all Greenwell could get out. Monroe gave a hearty laugh.

"You are millions of miles away. But, I must admit, you figured it out faster than I thought you would."

"What did you do?" They hissed.

"Jordan, the dear, was having a hard time with keeping power. He began to talk to me, and I told him I could help. And, well, you can see the progress we've made for yourself." Jordan opened the blinds and Monroe tilted the camera. Greenwell could see soldiers getting injected, some dropping dead, some doing things without question. No one spoke. No one laughed. Everyone looked emotionless, some even horrified. 

"I'll kill you."

"Maybe you will," Monroe said. "But I'll kill them first."

The call ended.

Blood boiling, Greenwell slammed their laptop closed and stood seething, breath heavy. As much as they wanted to kill Monroe, they needed to be out here, keeping the fight away from the planet. But their planet was in danger as long as Monroe was alive, and now, Monroe had access to military grade weapons. She needed to be stopped. They walked out to the common area, seeing Squadron Victor and Nya stood discussing the matter at hand. Greenwell stepped in. 

"This situation is worse than we thought," They said, and the team silenced. "Way worse. Monroe has taken control of the base."

"What's the plan?" Saadiya asked. "We can't turn around, the Irken are still gone. We can knock them out completely."

"That's still not full-proof," Nya pointed out. "Irk has a lot of defensives."

"We have taken that into account, and Zim can made weapons," Dennis said. 

"Not the point," Greenwell said sharply. "I'm not turning all of us around. That would be ridiculous."

"Then what are we doing?" Zim asked. 

"Your squadron will be sent back to Earth to deal with this mess."

"Director Greenwell, we can't do that by ourselves," Ferran objected, hand over her baby bump.

"There's no way I'm putting them in danger," Dennis said firmly, wrapping an arm around Ferran's waist.

"Lieutenant Cortéz is not attending this mission," Greenwell hissed, obviously not happy with the display. "And need I remind you about fraternizing while on duty, Lieutenants?" They parted, reluctantly.

"We are not going in there two soldiers down," Saadiya said.

"I know," Greenwell sighed. "That's why Special Intel Corto will be going with you."

"I'm not leaving you here by yourself, Director Greenwell," Nya protested. 

"I am perfectly capable of handling myself, Special Intel Corto. You were going to be put into this team anyways, to replace Milano, and right now we need your training expertise. So step up and do your job, Corto." Squadron Victor was surprised to see such harshness from Greenwell, especially when it was directed toward Nya. Greenwell always seemed so gentle toward her. They all looked to Nya, who looked a mix of pissed and hurt. Greenwell didn't feel any remorse. Nya would not take advantage of their relationship, or think less of them because she has seen their vulnerable side. This was the job that needed to be done.

"Fine. What is the plan,  _Director Greenwell?"_ Greenwell hated the way that Nya said that, like it didn't mean shit. 

"The plan is that you will go back to Earth in your pod and handle the situation. It will take you all around four months in total."

"Four months?! You can't be serious!" Dib spoke up.

"I'm quite serious, Lieutenant Membrana."

"Ferran will be two months off of giving birth by the time we get back," Brian butted in. "What if we don't make it in time, and I'm not there when they need me?"

"Brian, if you weren't prepared for that, then you shouldn't have had relations with Lieutenant Cortéz." Brian went quiet. "Are you all finished questioning a direct order?" The Squadron nodded, and Nya pushed past Greenwell, going to their quarters to pack up. 

"Wheels up in fifteen," Saadiya told the team, and they dispersed.

 

Greenwell followed after Nya, closing the door to their quarters behind them.

"What the hell was that about?" Charlie hissed. "You know that I won't take that kind of belittling in front of my crew!"

"We've only been mated for what, two months?!" Nya growled, putting clothes into a duffel bag. "And now, we won't see each other for double that time! Excuse me if I'm a little  _hesitant_ on leaving you here!"

"I survived years without you, I can handle four months!"

"Maybe I can't!" Nya looked at Greenwell. "Irk, you humans are so selfish!"

"That's  _rich_ coming from you!" 

"Selfish for loving you?! I think not!"

"Selfish for think you would get special treatment!" Nya huffed.

"Am I not your mate?!"

"So are Dib and Zim, but they never treat each other differently. They are soldier,  _good_ soldiers, who don't let their personal agenda get in the way of the job!"

"This isn't a job, Char!" Charlie crossed their arms over their chest, listening this time. "This isn't a mission, or a  _game_ , this is life and death! This is war, dammit! This isn't just one of many, this isn't just something that will go away, this could be the end of you, of your whole species, and your treating it like tomorrow, it will all be gone! Guess what, cupcake, it doesn't work like that! We could all die, does this not worry you?!"

"Of course it does," They said. "But if I spend all my time worrying about it, I will never get anything accomplished. Right now, I need you to do this. The reason I chose you is because I trust you, and because you could easily take over the job of two people. You are skilled and intelligent, and should Saadiya go down, I trust you to be able to handle the team."

"...Oh." Nya tried to not seem too smug about that. She zipped up her bag. "But I'm still gonna miss you." Charlie walked over and gently embraced her.

"I know. I'll miss you too." Nya didn't say anything after that, only leaning into Charlie, closing her eyes landholding on.

 

Dib and Zim, still sensitive from the events from earlier that day, packed up their bags. Dib skyped his sister, who picked up, wearing pajamas and messy hair.

"Oh shit, did I wake you up?" Dib asked.

"No, I've been playing video games since 10:00... it's 3 am."

"Oh. Forgot you guys had winter break."

"What did you need, Dib?"

"I was going to tell you that I'm coming back to Earth."

"What? Why?"

"Monroe took over the base, so don't meet me there. We need to land at the house, can you persuade Dad?"

"Dib..." She looked away for a moment, looking panicked. "Dad is... gone."

"What do you mean?"

"They took him. They were looking for me, too, but the defenses in my room are too secure. Dad set it so our rooms would lock down incase of an intrusion, and can only be reopened by us."

"Who is 'they'?"

"The military. I don't know what they're doing to him. Dib, I know you hate him-"

"I don't hate him so much that I wouldn't care if they subjected him to Monroe. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, Gaz. Dad made me immune to the stuff they pumped me full of, and probably you too, but I don't know if he was selfish enough to do it to himself. Just... Stay safe. Be in public areas, don't talk to people you don't know-"

"I'm not a toddler Dib, I know. The house is secure, I can open up the helicopter pad. Just promise me something; we will get Dad out."

"We?"

"I'm coming with you."

"Gaz, you're not trained-" Dib shut up at the eyebrow she quirked. "Yes, of course. It'll take us two months our time to get there, so I'll Skype plenty. I've got to get on board. See you soon."

"Bye, Dib-Dab." He hung up, packing up his laptop and charger before meeting with the team to get into the Pod. Dennis kissed Eliza goodbye, hugging her close before following Dib and Zim in. Brian kissed Ferran's cheek, promising he would be back in time for their child's arrival. He kissed her momentarily before walking after Dennis. Charlie and Nya walked over. Kissing Nya one more time, Charlie let her go. They saluted before Saadiya closed the door and flew off.

 

_"This could all be over if you told us what you did, Professor Membrane," Monroe hummed, straddling him and looking at her subject. Handcuffed to the chair, Membrane wore a prison suit, glasses long since fallen to the ground. He looked up at Monroe, eyes a deep, intimidating gold; just like Dib's. They were older than their time, wisdom pooling behind corrupted irises. "How did Dib manage to survive all those chemicals, hm? You would have had to make a serum. But where did you get it?" Membrane said nothing. "I didn't gag you for a reason, Membrane. But if you won't answer that, then I'll try something else." She moved a hand up his chest, his neck, to grasp his jaw and tilt his head until it pressed against hers, thumb dragging over his bottom lip. "Where is your daughter?"_

_"I will never tell you," He said, voice at a whisper. "You can have me all you want, but you will never touch my children. Not again."_

_"They are your experiments, Membrane. You didn't think we could tell?"_

_"I'm not dumb, Monroe, despite your opinion of me. Anyone could tell at the similarities of Dib and I. But it's a lot more complicated than that."_

_"Oh? Does it have anything to do with where Gaz came from?"_

_"Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. But I know one thing for sure."_

_"Yeah, and what's that?" Monroe asked, tilting her head, toward his. He would be so handsome if he just told her the truth. His lips brushed against hers, by no choice of his own, as he spoke_

_"It has absolutely nothing to do with you." She frowned, pulling back to look him in the eyes. He was smirking. "You are not going to win, Monroe. My kids are far smarter than you. Maybe even smarter than me." She slapped him across the face, a red hand print rising on his jaw, his head turning with the blow, and he began to laugh softly, deep vibrations in his chest could be felt against her other hand. She got up, walking out of the room. "You're never gonna win, Deborah!" He shouted at the door as it closed, still laughing. "You're never gonna win!"_

_"Well," She murmured, looking at him through the one-way mirror. "We'll just have to see about that."_


	16. Chapter 16

They never left. The house, automated for anything, brought things to Gaz. Food, entertainment, vitamins, exercise, everything. Everyday, she could hear them entering her house, trying at her door, people screaming in pain when it fought back and reassembled. She hated it, it was like _The Compound_ by S.A. Bodeen (without the implied cannibalism), but she knew it was for her own good. She kept her headphones on, curled up in bed with her laptop on, playing video games and ignoring her situation. As much as she wanted to go out there and intimidate everyone, her brother needed her. Her laptop began to ring.

Speak of the devil. 

She pulled down her speaker from the side of her headset, and answered. Her older brother appeared on the screen, laying on the ground of a dark ship.

"Hey, doofus. What's up?" She asked, sipping orange juice.

"Nothing much."

"Hi Gaz!" Brian said from the background, causing the rest of the team to say hello.

"Hey guys," She said, smiling, happy to know that she was known among the team. Dib grinned a little.

"How long has it been for you?"

"Since your last call, or since your departure?"

"Second choice."

"About four weeks."

"It's been two for us."

"Lovely." She said, chuckling. "I get to wait in my room for weeks."

"Why can't you leave?" She fell silent, looking at the door. 

"They don't leave, the military people. They always try, but Dad's defenses are too strong."

"Why don't you go out there? The house would protect you."

"Because I don't want to risk it."

"Gaz, you kicked my ass since day one. Even as a skilled soldier, I know I could never win in a fight with you. They have no chance. Win our house back, Gazza." Gaz grinned and got up, Dib sitting back and listening (the camera was tilted away from the door).

Gaz, wearing her Gameslave t-shirt and pizza pajama shorts, put on a murderous gaze as she grabbed a laser gun from her dresser. She put her hand to a bioscanner on the wall, and the lockdown was cancelled.  _I will make them regret ever reading the name Gazleen Membrana._ The soldiers went for their guns, but she raised hers first.

"Get out of my house," She said, voice cold and dripping with lemon. They froze, looking more scared of her than the impending threat of Monroe. "Or your blood will become my wallpaper, and I will feed your meat to the rest of your teams, and I'll turn your organs into dolls! And if that stupid fucking bitch asks about me, tell her I'm dead!" They ran out hurriedly, door closing behind them with a terrified slam that echoed through the halls of the empty home. She touched the wall, and it opened up, and iPad showing. She typed in the code to lock up the house casually, and took her laptop from her room, walking downstairs to go out to the backyard. The sunlight was warm on her softly tanned skin and she played in the hammock, the house giving her lemonade and chocolate chip cookies. She sipped it. "Much better." Dib chuckled. 

"Glad I could help."

 

The team made it back to the base, looking still thoroughly firghtened. Monroe caught glimpse of them; mostly, she caught glimpse of what they didn't have. Gazleen was not with them. 

"Squadron Delta, where is the girl?" S�he hissed, marching over.

"Dead," A woman said, a little too quickly. She raised an eyebrow.

"How?" 

"...Drowned." Monroe walked toward the woman, getting close to her face, each step slow and loud.

"You should be a lot more afraid of me than some little girl, Moira, so I suggest you tell me the truth." Moira was silent for a moment, looking as though she was trying to decide who she was more afraid of - Gaz, or her. After a while, she spoke.

"Drowned, Ma'am. In a tub. Suicide." Monroe searched her face, then tsked. Turning her back to the woman, she walked away at a quicker pace, set to walk back to Membrane. 

"Kill Squadron Delta," She ordered sharply over her shoulder. A sudden fight broke out behind her, and she smirked, walking down into the interrogation room and slamming the door shut behind her. 

 

Membrane looked up from his breakfast, one hand still cuffed to the chair.

"Good morning, Doctor. How did you sleep?" He was annoyingly calm as he lifted the spoon to his mouth, not making eye contact with her. It enraged her. It wasn't that he was _avoiding_ eye contact, he was relaxed enough to the point where he thought she wouldn't do any thing if he wasn't looking. She shoved the tray off the table, and it hit the wall with a bang. He looked at the mess on the wall and floor, then back to her, eyebrow raised. "I take it not well?"

"No more games, Membrane. Where is Gaz?!"

"Dunno," He said, eating the spoonful of soup and setting it down on the table. "But I'm guessing you're asking because you can't find her." She gave a growl.

"That is not the poi-"

"She has probably moved. She's a smart girl, she isn't going to be in the eye of the storm." Monroe pondered this. I twas a good point; too good. She grew skeptical. 

"Why would you tell me that?" Membrane gave a little smirk.

"Maybe it's because my children betrayed me when Dib set foot on this compound," He said with a hum. "Or maybe it's because I like the way you straddled me. Or;" his voice dropped to a purr. "Both." A soft blush dusted over Monroe's cheeks.  _Oh._  

"Well," She said, struggling to find a response. "Well... I'll get a soldier to... prepare a better breakfast for you." She left abruptly, closing the door behind her and leaning against it softly.  _Oh._  

 

It was another few hours before Monroe tried to interrogate Membrane again; he had asked for her. She walked in, hesitant, not expecting much except a futile attempt to seduce her. As if a  _human_ could every court her,  _the_ Ora Mon!

"Are you willing to talk?"

"To you? Of course. That's why I asked for you. I could talk to you for  _hours."_  He smirked a little at the red on her cheeks. 

"Speak now or forever hold your peace."

"That lab coat looks cute on you; and here I thought lab coats only looked good on me."

"I earned this coat."

"So did I." She tutted, stepping forward.

"Barely."

"Did I not clone my son?" He asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"That proves nothing!" 

"Yeah, but you couldn't do it." She turned red with frustration, gripping the front of his shirt, knee planted on the chair between his legs, and dangerously close to something that would have hurt.

"I certainly could!" Her eyes narrowed as those golden pools only deepened further with mischievous intent.

"Could you? With what data? With what material?" 

"I have access to everything on this planet! You did it, so can I!"

"But you don't know how human engineering works, do you?" He asked. "Only medicinal tech. I know what you did to Dib." She stayed quiet, and close. "I could show you how to make all the clones you want. But I need to get out of this chair. Let me prove useful, Doctor. Let me show you how  _good_ I am with my hands." Her cheeks turned a deeper red, but her grip tightened on him, and her eyes widened. "Or would you rather my lips, first?" 

 _"Professor,"_ Her voice came out so quiet that only he could hear it. Her breath smelt like peppermint - it could easily be overbearing and burning, or a soft accent to something sinfully sweet. Membrane's lips twitched in a smirk, taking it as a yes. He leaned forward and he pressed his lips over hers not hard, nor soft, but firmly and full of an emotion that Monroe couldn't explain. She couldn't help but think that's what mating him would be like. But, taking part in the human affection, she pressed back, wide eyes fluttering shut as she pulled at the restraints and released his hands. They found her waist and pulled her into his lap, one hand sliding up into her hair, cradling the base of her head, the other at the small of her back, pressing her flush to his chest. She was a smaller woman, so his arms, strong and lean for a scientist, encircled her easily.

_Perhaps it wasn't a such a futile attempt._


	17. Chapter 17

Time came and went, horribly fast. Dib was dreading touching back down on Earth. The artificial gravity on the ship was distinctly different from Earth, he felt so pulled down here. The helicopter was produced on the roof of the Membrane house, and they stepped out. Dib and Zim gave each other a small grin. This was where it all started, on Earth. It was bittersweet, but it was home. Can't run from your problems forever.

A flurry of purple came out of the corner of Dib's eyes, and suddenly he was being hugged tightly around his waist. Gaz was clad in a black t-shirt, jean shorts, ripped tights, and combat boots, and black leather choker around her neck, hair disheveled but obvious effort in her makeup. He smiled as he hugged back, until they pulled back and she punched his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?!" 

"Asserting dominance." Dennis cracked a smile.

"I like her," He said. "How old are you, kid?"

"Old enough to kick your ass if you call me kid again, Dennis." Dib gave him a non-apologetic smile. She hated being called kid, and they would learn to respect that, one way or another. Dennis chuckled softly. 

"Yes ma'am." Saadiya, however, made her way over to a computer.

"Dib, can you get us a map of the base?"

"Can I get a map of the-" Dib stopped short, pretending to be offended. "You have so little faith in me, Saadiya." He walked to the computer and got to it, smiling at her a little. Gaz turned to Zim.

"So," She said, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're Dib's husband." Zim squared his shoulders a little.

"Yes, Dib's scary sister."

"Hurt him and I'll scalp you."

"Gaz!" Dib scolded over his shoulder. Gaz stared Zim dead in the eyes, hand clenching into a fist and thumb poking out. She raised it to her neck and motioned it across her throat. Zim swallowed a little. Yikes.

 

Membrane had gained some respect on the base. Since entering a relationship with Monroe, the head bitch of the charade, people tend to fear him more. He had gotten his clothes back, though he kept his front unbuttoned, revealing jeans and a blue t-shirt. He hated this. He hated being here. Though his children didn't want him, he would rather die than work against him. He was a horrible father, he knew it, and he got afraid so he stepped back before he fucked up completely. But they needed to get in and take this woman out before she started demanding more from him. He could fake a kiss, but he couldn't fake arousal without medical help. And he was  _not_ about to ask for that.

And then he found himself in the engineering section. He did work toward cloning, but he messed with the programming just slightly and encrypted it. No one could get into it, if it wasn't him. And he would be sure that he didn't remember it. Cloning was a lot simpler than everyone made it out to be. Stem cells with an accelerated growth hormone and give it an adaptive ability, put it in a stable incubator or womb, and you have your clone. But he figured that out only recently. Looking around, he made sure his screen was just out of shot and no one was looking at him as he took the plans for the base, how many soldiers were on duty, the kind of weapons soldiers carried, the chemical formula for all the fluids being pumped into them, the new access codes, and the plans for the cloning machine, and sent them all to the house computer, sending a message with it. He hoped his son could forgive him. He hoped it mattered at all.

 

Dib grinned as the information came up... Then a lot of other information that he wasn't aware he had hacked into. Chemical formulas, gun types, access codes, everything they would need- and a message. 

_They are all in danger. Hurry, fast, I cannot distract her for much longer. Good luck._

_-Dad_

Dib almost had a heart attack, eyes focusing on that last word.

"Dib, did you get it?" Brian asked, having gotten off from the call.

"Yeah," He said. "I got everything, and more."

"More?" Saadiya questioned.

"He's in there," Dib said. "He's in there, and he just sent us everything we need. He's trying to help us." Gaz walked over and looked at the screen.

"We can't think about that right now." Dib only nodded. She was right. He couldn't may any attention to it right now; if he did, he wasn't sure he would be able to think about anything else.

"Alright," Saadiya said as it was brought up onto a bigger screen. "Here's the plan..."

 

It was night when the plan was put into action. They walked the two miles toward the base, then snuck into the back of a supply van when it was stopped for gas. Zim and Dib sat close together, holding each other on the ride in. Dib was not happy with Gaz being here, if she got hurt trying to save him and be a part of this team, he would never forgive himself. Or worse, if she ended up feeling the same pain that he did in the hands of Monroe. 

That's when the van stopped.

Taking a breath, they all looked at each other and gave small, encouraging smiles when the door opened. Saadiya kicked the guy in the face as it opened, pulling the unconscious man into the van. They got out, guns in hands, and snuck into the main building. Dib was surprised no one noticed them... they didn't seem to be themselves, upon further inspection. The rest of the team had seemed to figure this out, too. They were... zombies. 

Dib walked through the crowd with no hassle, looking at an unoccupied medical bed. The set-up looked like what he was strapped to at the Psych ward. He saw multiple people being pumped full of-

_Submission juice._

Lex's voice was clear in his head. He sighed softly, then pulled the I.V's out of their arms.

"Dib, what are you doing?" Saadiya hissed.

"Saving them," He said, looking at her. "Someone has to."

That's when a door opened, and Dib saw the outlines of his father and Monroe in the doorway of what once was Director Greenwell's office, and Squadron Victor scattered. Brian went under a bed, Dib hid behind a cabinet (and Gaz along with him), Dennis walked with the crowd, helping them move things, hoping to hide in plain sight, Saadiya hid behind a pile of wood, and Nya was ducked behind a bed, aiming her gun. Saadiya motioned for her to stand down, and begrudgingly, she did as she was told.  Dib peeked his head out of the side of the cabinet, and he froze as he made eye contact with his father. 

Membrane thought quickly. He gently smacked Monroe's backside, and she squeaked, looking at his with a deep blush and a tiny grin, gently smacking his shoulder as she went back into the office.

"Eugh," Dib and Gaz said in unison, quietly. Membrane dropped a piece of paper on the ground, letting it call down to Dennis' feet. Dennis picked it up and walked back to the team, who reconvened. 

_Get better hiding spots._

Dib rolled his eyes, then ducked as he heard two gunshots. Monroe had come back out.

"Do you think I'm stupid?!" Monroe shrieked, looking at the group. "I'm not  _blind!_ I know when my own facility is being intruded upon!"

His stomach dropped, looking over and seeing Saadiya on the ground, holding her stomach, and Nya, clutching her thigh. 

"No!" Dib cried, getting down beside them both as Zim tried to apply pressure to their wounds. Monroe raised her gun and pointed it at Gaz. Dib, Dennis, Zim, and Brian reached for their guns, Gaz aiming her own, when a third shot rang out. Dib looked up. Membrane had taken Monroe's gun, and Monroe lay on the ground, dead.

Membrane dropped the gun and made his way over to his children, carefully. Dib and Gaz looked up at him, hesitant, but longingly.

"Family talk later, Saadiya and Nya, now!" Dennis told them. The Membranas nodded, and Membrane lifted Saadiya as Dennis lifted Nya, and they ran out to the lot. Getting into a military paramedic van, Dib began to drive as Membrane and Zim kept Nya and Saadiya as stable as they could. He sped through, a little roughly, until they got to the hospital, and the two were admitted immediately.

 

It took them a while before they could talk. Dennis, Brian, and Zim had taken their leave so they could talk, the trio next to the vending machine, leaving the family by themselves in the waiting room.

"There is nothing I can say or do that will ever truly make up for what I've done," Membrane said after a while. Dib and Gaz looked up at him. "And there is no real reason... only the truth." Membrane looked at them. Dib was shocked to see the tears in his eyes. "There was a woman. Her name was Amelia. Amelia Ludvenson. She was a scientist at my lab, one of the first... We... fell in love. She was a woman with an old-fashioned taste, and I didn't know that until after she became pregnant. With our daughter, you, Gaz." Gaz's eyes widened. "She hated that her nuclear family idea was broken, she didn't want an abortion, and I just wanted my child..." He looked back down. "She took my DNA without me knowing and made a clone of me. A baby clone. She kept it hidden until The Embryo accelerated to two years old without consciousness, and when she was six months pregnant, she brought you to life, Dib. You are a clone of me. But I didn't want that, I don't have a need to be immortal. I just want to let it all die, but I can't let it go... Think about what would happen." Dib knew the economy would collapse, war would break out... his father held a lot of power. He could only guess how many times he held off impending doom.  Membrane looked up at him. "I couldn't... I wouldn't get rid of you. Even if you were a clone of me, you were your own person, with thoughts and emotions, you didn't have a predetermined destiny, I never wanted you to be like me. I made damn sure that the only thing we shared was DNA, and nothing else. I tried to get you off of paranormal so that you would become spiteful and blossom in rebellion, because my parents never let me. I need you to be better than me, Dib. You are better than me. Both of you are." Dib and Gaz stood up and walked over to Membrane, who stood up with them.

"Dad..." Dib murmured, tears falling down his cheeks as he embraced his father. Membrane hugged back, pulling Gaz to his side and hugged her close.

"I love you both, so much, and I spent so much time trying to let you be your own person that I forgot that you needed me... I'm so sorry..." He whispered, kissing the top of Gaz's head, and the side of Dib's. Zim walked over to them, tentatively.

"Um... Sir?" Zim said softly. Membrane looked up. "I'm sorry for... almost getting in a fight with you all those years ago." Membrane gave a softly laugh through his chest.

"Get over here, son." Zim hesitantly joined the hug, smiling a little.

This... This was home.

 

"So, let me get this straight," Membrane said, two hours later, after Dib caught him up on the events of the last three years. "You are fighting a team of small aliens, whilst being married to one, and the Director of the whole thing is  _also_ dating a traitor who was genetically modified to look human who tried to kill one of the only competent doctors you have, you killed a spy just like the traitor that is in a relationship with your Director, this one-" Membrane pointed to Brian. "-impregnated someone who was also a spy but shorted their chip and changed their memory so they wouldn't remember, and you came here to kill Monroe because Monroe made a deal with Jordan, and now you all have to go back to deal with the whole mess?"

"And don't forget the three men who hurt Zim," Dennis said.

"And having to deal with a possible mutiny," Membrane added.

"...Yeah, basically." Membrane shook his head softly, chuckling.

"You are... astounding, son. Both of you are. I'm so happy that you stuck together during all of this." Gaz smiled a little, leaning against her father. That's when a Doctor came out.

"Are you all Squadron Victor?" She asked.

"Yes," Brian said as they all stood up.

"Anya Cortéz is stable and can go home. She was two millimeters away from an artery." The group relaxed, shared a smile, but the Doctor's face turned one of sorrow. "But Saadiya Ibaara... I'm sorry... Organ damage and blood loss was too much, and... She's dead." 


	18. Chapter 18

"No," Dennis said. "No, that can't be true..."

"I'm sorry, Sir," She said. Brian was devastated, but had to think like Ferran in a situation like this.

"I... I assume there is paperwork?" Brian asked, quietly.

"Yes... But we will need to contact her family." He nodded and walked with the Doctor to make the calls. Zim looked to Dib, who looked like he was in shock. Gaz had found her way back into her father's arms. Dib looked to Zim, eyes searching, as if Zim would have a sufficient answer. That was unlikely. Zim gently took his hand. He knew that Dib wouldn't crack here, he had been trained not to, from Saadiya herself. A part of him wondered if she was grooming him to take control, but Zim wouldn't let that happen. Dib couldn't handle that pain, and he knew it.

Dennis left the hospital. He couldn't deal with this. First Milano, now Saadiya, who was next, Brian? Eliza? Zim? He sat on the curb outside, holding his head in his hands, and began to sob.  _Fuck._

 

Dib and Zim didn't go to the funeral, on Dib's request. He didn't think it was right, he didn't know anything about how he was supposed to act, and he didn't feel welcome. He wasn't family. Everyone else went, even Nya. The funeral preparations were made quickly, that was tradition. So it was only three days later that Saadiya was buried. And after Lex's funeral, Zim wasn't sure if he could go to another. Everyone was crying, some angry, and some of them were okay. It didn't make sense to him. Grief was as mind-boggling as love.

For a while, Dib and Zim slept separately. It wasn't spoken about, there was no new rift between them, but they had spent so much time together that they forgot what it was like to be alone. And when Dib decided it was something he didn't remember, Zim was already half-way to his bedroom. Dib stood up as Zim walked in, locking eyes with him, and closing the door behind him. He reached out to Dib wordlessly, eyes soft but ordering, and Dib felt a sob rising in his chest as he walked forward and fell into Zim's arms. 

"I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired," Dib murmured into the crook of his neck, tears spilling out of his eyes. Zim gently ran his fingers through his hair, leading him toward the bed to sit down. 

"Me too," Zim murmured softly. "Me too." 

They sat in that embrace, crying softly. They spoke of their worries and fears, their doubts, about who Dib and Gaz really were, about his mother, about how unsure Dib was about if he ever wanted to meet her. Zim spoke about his fears of the Tallests, who they were to him, about how he is unsure if he will be able to kill them at the end. Dib didn't blame him for this, even at the peak of rage, Dib wasn't the one to kill Monroe, and he wasn't sure if he could have done it either way. Dib wouldn't hold it against him if Zim hesitates, or can't do it at all.

They sat in silence for what felt like hours until either of them moved. It was Zim, and he'd lain down Dib to kiss him against the bed. It seemed ironic to do this here, a place where Dib used to plot Zim's demise, a place that stood as a representation of Dib's hatred of Zim's existence. But it would be a sweet end to a bitter story. The two hadn't been intimate in months, and right now they needed each other, and if they could only truly do that psychically, then so be it. Before, all the other times, it had been desperate. This, this was more like something that had been a long time coming. 

Zim's claw dragged down Dib's clothed chest until meeting the hem of Dib's shirt, grasping it, then gingerly pulling it up and over his head. Dib's hands pushes down Zim's leggings, and after feeling at the soft skin of his thighs, moved his hands up and under his shirt, carefully pulling it off. Dib helped Zim with his belt, Zim never could get the hang of nor understand the need of them, and that soon joined his shirt on the floor. It wasn't long before all articles of clothing followed soon after. Dib  and Zim pressed their foreheads together as the smaller of the two fit between the other's legs and guided them around Zim's waist, then gently pushing into Dib. 

After such a long time, Dib had almost forgot the cool sensation. Zim and Dib's hands found each other, and they hold on tight, holding Dib's hands to the mattress. The sunlight that poured through the window was beginning to feel warm again, matching the heat in Dib's cheeks. For once, since Saadiya's departure, Dib was starting to feel something other than pain. Zim allowed himself to get lost in the feeling of Dib, where nothing else existed but them in that moment, the burdens of the yesterdays no longer mattered, and the promises of tomorrow, however fleeting, were hopeful. For the first time, they both were on the same page, and they both were alright, if only for a moment.

 

When they returned, and Dib and Zim were finished with their psychical therapy, Gaz found herself in a very familiar space. In her pajamas, curled up in bed, with her headphones on, but she wasn't playing anything. She didn't think anything could drown out the thoughts in her head. In the last three days, she has seen two dead bodies, and her father was responsible for the first of them. She has found out that she is, technically, an older sister to a clone made to pretend to be her older brother so some psycho-bitch, who happened to be her mother, could have a nuclear family.

But Dib wasn't pretending. The only thing they new for sure was that Dib was a clone, and even then, that was base firmly on rumors. Dib cared for her like an older brother. In comparison to her, he saw himself as an older brother, but now she wasn't too sure if he saw himself as her brother at all, if her father saw her as his daughter at all. What if all of it was a lie? Oh, but she was so tired of hating her father. All she knew was that Membrane saved her life when everyone else was fussing over Nya and Saadiya. That could not have been the act of a man who didn't care.

He gave her an explanation of where she came from. But he didn't provide any evidence of this Amelia chick. What did she look like? The only thing she shared with her father was his eyes, so she assumed everything else came from her mother. He had to have something.  _Anything._ She deserved to see her, if only a picture. So, she slid out of bed and walked down to her father, who was drinking tea and looking at a photo album at the table. 

"Dad?" She asked softly. He looked up and gently motioned for her to come forward. She did as she was told, pulling up a chair and sitting beside him. 

"I knew that one of you would get curious," He said, taking out a picture and handing it to her. "This is your mother." Gaz looked at the picture intently. She was a thin, short woman with long purple hair tied into a loose bun, her smile exactly like Gaz's, though her eyes were a bright green. Her nose was small and dainty like Gaz's, and so were her hands. Narrow glasses stationed on her nose, and she was leaned against a much younger version of her father. "In that picture, she had just announced her pregnancy," Membrane told her. "She was so excited, and so was I. She would have started making a clone about four weeks later..." Gaz looked up to him.

"What was she like?" She asked softly.

"She was smart. She was funny, and she wasn't afraid of higher ups or being fired, and not just because I owned the place. She was stubborn as hell, and she was extremely fierce. I don't think she ever mentioned being afraid of anything. I guess in that way, she was a lot like you." Her father gave a small smile. "But, with all good, comes bad. She was also very manipulative. She would never tell you exactly what was wrong, only that you had done something wrong. She was a toxic woman, but I was young, dumb, and in love. I only realized how horrible of a person she really was after your brother was brought into consciousness." 

"What happened to her?"

"Well, shortly after you were born, she demanded she get back into work immediately. No one had the guts to tell her no; no matter who you were, or what power you held, everyone was afraid of her. She was extremely intimidating. There was a reactor malfunction in the building she worked in, and she was caught in the middle of it. We tried to help her, to heal her, but... the radiation was too much, and she died before you were even a month old." Gaz sat still for a moment, taking in this information. 

"Then where is she buried?"

"She's got a memorial at the cemetery where... Lex was memorialized."

"I want to go there." Membrane nodded softly.

"We'll need to get some flowers... and could you ask your brother if he wants to come? If not for Amelia, perhaps for Lex." Gaz nodded softly. 

"Can I keep this picture?" Membrane smiled softly. 

"Of course." He kissed her head, and she hugged him momentarily before going upstairs. She taped the picture to the side of her desktop computer, and stared at if for a moment. She didn't know why she didn't hate this woman. Gaz suddenly remembered when Dib came and yelled at their father that day all those years ago. 

_“You aren’t worthy of my time, effort, or love. It’s a simple truth that we care more about you more than you ever cared about us... But it’s okay. Because you are my father, and you will always be my father. I will never stop caring for you in that way, and I’m tired of feeling guilty for that.”_

Maybe that's why. Amelia was her mother, she couldn't bring herself to hate her mother. Gaz shouldn't feel guilty for not hating her mom. Gaz smiled a little.  _We really do look alike._


	19. Chapter 19

Dib, Gaz, and Membrane went to the cemetery on their own, deciding it was a family trip. Zim, though they considered him a part of their family, stayed behind to watch over Nya. Dib suspected it was in fear of losing her, too. He knew that Zim secretly cared about her, just like how he secretly cared about everyone in Squadron Victor, including Eliza and Director Greenwell. So he didn't press his mate to come with him, though it would be difficult to face Lex's grave on his own. But he needed to learn how to depend on his family to do this for him.

Membrane drove them to the cemetery. Dib couldn't remember the last time Membrane drove them anywhere, probably because he hadn't. They bought flowers on the way, plenty. When they arrived, Gaz stuck near her father. It was cold and over cast, and not many people hung around. The air that thrashed at the trees on their way over seemed to still here. He lead them to their mother's grave, where Gaz put down Forget-me-nots, Membrane put down roses, and Dib put down violets. They stayed there for a moment, an odd feeling stirring in the pit of Dibs' stomach as he looked up and looked around. He saw a name on one of the stones that made his heart drop. 

_Captain Saadiya Ibaara_

He walked over and put down the Irises. He wiped at the tears in his eyes. He missed her, too much. The memory of seeing her on the ground, holding her bleeding wound was so prominent. Thoughts of Milano's ship going down, of being told that Lex was dead, that his mother was dead... He hung his head. He wished he didn't matter in this story, that he was just a background character, just like he always seemed to be. He hated it being all about him. He felt a hand on his back and he looked up, seeing his father's eyes, sad and apologetic. 

"I'm sorry for all of your losses," He said quietly. He wished he had been there to help Dib with it all. 

"Me too," He said. Gaz lingered at her mothers grave for a moment before they began to walk back to the front.

"If you don't mind," Dib murmured. "I wanted to go see Lex... alone." Membrane nodded and Dib departed, with a hand full of Begonias. Dib sat down next to the memorial stone, placing the flowers down beside them. Tears prickled at his eyes. "I'm scared, Lex," He murmured softly. "I'm so fucking scared. They're all dropping like flies. I wish I could get out before I got hurt, but the war will follow me wherever I go. We've waged war on hell, here, and we are surviving, but... just because we're living, doesn't mean we're alive..." He let out a short sob. "I wish you were here. I wish Milano was here, and Saadiya... Even Mom." It felt weird to say the word and mean it. He had family, family that he didn't remember, family that was a big part of his life, family that once meant nothing... and now mean everything. He wiped at his tears. "I want you to know that I love you. You are the reason I am able to get through it all. I still dream about you, I still think about you everyday. I think about all of you. And I wish I had told you all how important you are. Because I like to think that might've made your day a little brighter." Dib stared at her name and gave a small smile. "The universe is big. And colorful. It's freeing... You would like it up there." He sat in silence for only a moment longer before standing up and walking back to his family, who stood a the ready to hold him.

 

It's funny how drastically things change, if you live just a little bit longer.


	20. Chapter 20

When they got back to the house, Zim walked over from the kitchen.

"How was it?" He asked, the Membranas disbanding.

"It was... refreshing," Dib said, giving a gentle smile. "I'm okay... Are you?" Dib was not about to make the same mistake as last time, and a soft smile spread over Zim's features as he realized that for the first time in a while, they were finally making some real progress in their relationship.

"I'm okay. It's a slow process, but it's worth it. Thank you." Dib kissed him briefly as Brian came down, looking rather stressed.

"Brian? Are you alright?"

"No," He said. "Ferran is pregnant and I'm not there, Saadiya is dead, Nya misses Greenwell like crazy and will  _not stop talking about them_ _-"_

"Are you sure that isn't Dad-shock?" Dennis chuckled from the couch. 

"Dad-shock?" Zim asked.

"The sudden realization that you are, in fact, going to a father, that you are responsible for another life." Dennis clapped Brian on the back softly as he sat beside him. "Been there, buddy." Dib and Zim took their spots on the couch and the chair, Membrane sitting in a chair across from Dib.

"How do you get over it?" Brian asked. "I want a child. More specifically, I want to be the father of Ferran's child. I'm... happy, with her, but I'm stressed out all the time."

"That doesn't go away," Membrane said, and all eyes were on him. "Not until you hold your kid for the first time. Stress turns into happiness, and happiness turns into protectiveness." He glanced over at Dib.

"Exactly was the scientist said," Dennis said. "Elijah was put on my doorstep with no name a few weeks after he was born, only a note saying that she was the mother, and Elijah was my kid. She was lucky I was home, it was cold that night." Brian rubbed his face.

"How did you name them?"

"Dibble was actually a Scottish surname that Amelia and I both liked," Membrane chuckled. "And Dibble J. Membrana had a nice ring to it. Gazleen was a play-on-words of Gasoline. She looked so much like Amy that we just assumed she would be like her. We were right. Gazleen M. Membrana also sounded nice."

"What are their middle names?" Zim asked suddenly. "The Dib refuses to tell me."

"Dib's full name is-"

"Dad, no-" Dib tried and Membrane gave small grin; the grin that all Dads gave before embarrassing their kids.

"Dibble Jeronimo Membrana. Gaz's is Gazleen Maricruz Membrana."

"Daaad-" Dib groaned, holding his head in his hands. 

"That is a kick-ass name!" Dennis said, fist-bumping Membrane.  "Dibble Jeronimo Membrana, are you friggin' kidding me? That is the coolest shit!"

"Isn't your middle name Arturo?" Nya asked as she limped in. Dennis stood up and helped her sit on the couch, Dennis standing instead. 

"Dennis Arturo Clay," Brian hummed. "Nice."

"What about you?" Dennis asked Brian.

"Brian Satoshi Huong."

"What's your name?" Nya asked Membrane.

"Do you not know it?" He asked, looking genuinely surprised.

"Dad, even I don't know your name," Dib said. "Everyone here knows you as Professor, Professor Membrane, or Membrana."

"My name is-" A knock at the door surprised everyone. They looked at each other momentarily. Dib was the first to pull his gun, Zim, Dennis, Brian and Nya doing the same. Brian and Dib went upstairs to guard Gaz, and Nya stood, walking over haphazardly to open the door.

"Hello!" It was a short, scrawny man, with a briefcase. "May I speak to the man of the house?" Nya arched an eyebrow at him, and the man swallowed a little. "Thank you for your time." He left hurriedly, and she closed the door.

"Smart man," She said.

"No one ever solicits here," Membrane said, cautiously. A shot rang out and everyone hit the floor except Membrane. They all looked at him like he was insane. "I built an indestructible house. It could, literally, withstand a nuclear war." They all carefully stood back up. What sounded like machine guns worked at the front of the house but bounced off like play-dough. 

"Who are they?" Nya asked, peering through a window.

"I'm gonna guess Monroe's staff," Dib said as he walked back downstairs, a concerned look on his face. Brian followed shortly behind him. "They are almost as bad as she was. Don't pity them. They can't be saved."

"They are going to use up all the military ammunition if we don't put an end to it," Dennis said. Membrane pulled a tablet from his coat, looking at the architecture of the house. 

"We could fire the guns." Dib looked at him, surprised.

"We have guns?" He asked.

"For emergencies, yes, and to be entirely honest, I want to kill these assholes. They hurt my boy." No one questioned him any further. Membrane pressed a few buttons, and Zim could vaguely hear gages open, and suddenly the amount of gunfire doubled. Membrane was targeting them precisely through a camera. Dib was getting a headache. He went upstairs, the information of the house and the memory of seeing his father killing being all too much. 

 

 

The reason that Gaz didn't come back downstairs was because she couldn't face them yet. Eyeliner and mascara ran down her cheeks, lipstick smudged, and tears flowing freely, Gaz found herself crying over her mother. So much death had entered her life, and she didn't know how to deal with it. Her gasping and wincing caught the attention of her brother as he passed to go to his own bedroom, having heard the soft noises from outside her room. 

"Gazza?" He asked softly, knocking twice. "Are you alright?"

"Go away!" She cried at the white door. "Go away or I'll melt your organs!" Dib, after years of her threats, knew that this had no literal heat in it. It was a front for how she was truly feeling. He stood at the door in silence, waiting for a better answer. "...come in." He opened the door and closed it softly behind him. The concern that was spread over his face thickened. He began to walk forward when she launched forward. Her shortness lead to a face full of Dib's chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey," He said softly against her hair. "Talk to me."

"Mom," she whispered. "Saadiya." She didn't need to say much more.

"I'm sorry you ended up in the middle of this," He whispered softly, holding her tighter. "I'm so sorry. You don't deserve this pain." She shook her head, pulling back to look up at him.

"No, I wish I knew them better. I wish I got to speak with Saadiya more often, I wish I got to know Mom, I wish I understood everything that's going on, I wish we could figure out who's the older sibling, I wish we were closer to Dad while we were growing up, I wish-"

"Take it from a guy who spent most of his life getting caught up in the 'wish'es and the 'what if's," Dib said, wiping her tears. "They are not worth your brain matter. Wishing won't make it come true, and what ifs hold you back. You can't do that anymore, but you can get close now, and you can learn more now."

"Would Greenwell take me?" She asked. "If I went back with you-"

"You don't want to be up there, Gaz... It isn't your kind of thing."

"I can't stand by anymore!" She demanded. "You ask for my help anyways, and now that we have Dad, we can do so much more!"

"Let me fight this one," He said gently.

"You fight all of them Dib, that's why we were always so far away," She said. "Let us in. Let us help. It's okay to need your family every once in a while." Dib pursed his lips in thought.

"I'll find a way. But I don't want you up there with all of us, you really would hate it..." He trailed off, getting an idea as the gunfire ceased. "Do you think Dad would let me use the lab?" He asked.

"No doubt."

"Wonderful."

 

Dib walked downstairs, looking at the room. They were all out there, cleaning up the mess. Dib didn't want to see it.

"Zim!" He called from inside. Zim turned around, looking in.

"Yeah?"

"Want to help me build something?"

"...Yeah, Okay." 

"Do you need my lab?" Membrane asked.

"If it's not too much t-"

"The code is your and Gaz's birthdates." He grinned a little and Zim followed him out to the lab. Dib grabbed a piece of paper and began to sketch our a design.

"You want to make... A drone?"

"A _fighting_ drone that can be controlled from here to Irk and beyond. All of my projects that I've built have been, admittedly, faulty. But yours worked. If you can lead me through building this, if it's possible, then I'll program it for Gaz to control down here. She wants to help, I don't want to put her into the line of danger, so this is my compromise."

"It's not impossible," He said, examining the plans. "But it will take time."

"My father is the smartest human on the face of the planet, Nya is also Irken, you have me, you, two different kinds of engineering strategies, and four months equals two months up there, so Brian will be back in time for the birth of his child. We can do this, Zim, please, I don't want to let Gaz down." Zim stared at him for a moment, and Dib brought out his puppy-dog eyes. Zim sighed softly in frustration.

"You know I can't refuse you when you look like that." Dib broke out into a grin.

"That's why I look at you like that, my love!" He said, kissing Zim briefly.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get to work, star shine." 


	21. Chapter 21

So the drone had been completed in record time. It really couldn't have been done without the help of Membrane and Nya, and the programming turned out to be the harder part of it all. Dib had programmed the controls to be much like a video game, so Gaz didn't need any special technology to control it. In only five weeks, the drone was up and running, and Dib had connected it to Gaz's desktop via a military-esque bluetooth. They were all ecstatic when Gaz was able to fly it; it seemed they all needed that win. Gaz especially. She was happy that she could finally help. She'd taken a different path than he brother and father, one that had little to do with science, and even less to do with the military. She was a gamer, her dream was to get a job in game development, to work for one of the big companies, like Blizzard or Activision. A video game tester, a video game greater, coder, anything to do with the creating of one. She was good at playing games. She hoped to one day have taken part in the creation of video game that was actually challenging. Maybe that wasn't something that her father wanted, maybe not even her brother, but it was something that she was devoted to. She hoped this new change in her father would accept her like he accepted her brother.

Seeing her brother leave to go back to his military was a bittersweet moment. One one hand, she was sad to see him go, she had just gotten him back. She wasn't entirely sure she could go through a grieving process without her brother to help her through it. On the other hand, seeing him go with refreshed determination made her hopeful too not only his survival, but his accomplishment in the war. Dib's mind was always in the stars, it seemed all too fitting that the rest of him follow suit.

 

Leaving home was always difficult. Everything was better here. He missed the feeling of sunshine on his skin, the food, the grass, even the air was better. Everything was always a precise 75º, he liked the heat of the day, the cold of the night. He liked the smallness of his bed, where he was forced to cuddle into Zim for fit, which sometimes lead to a little more than cuddling. He liked the blue ness of the sky, it was a lot better than the darkness of space. As much as he loved space, sometimes it was too big, too threatening. Space, the cold dark vacuum, is the final frontier for a reason: it wants to kill you. People seem to forget that a lot. Even he forgot most days. He wasn't particularly ecstatic to leave, his father had finally come back into his life and was being honest with him and his sister. Or, at least, he hoped so. That worry would always gnaw at the back of his mind, if leaving Gaz alone with a man that both believed to neglect and disregard them. But Membrane was truthful, and Dib had to remind himself of that, because when he hugged his father for the last time before he left, he was sad. He didn't want to leave. The little boy in him wanted to stay hidden in his father's arms, away from the war, and the pressure of being a perfect soldier, a perfect friend, and a perfect mate. With his father, he didn't have anything to worry about. At least he hoped so.

Stepping back onto the pod after his father had fueled it up once more soothed his worried mind. His friend was having a baby, he couldn't miss that. He was going to win a war, and his sister would be at his side two share that happiness, and when it was all over, he could come home and be happy with his family. Maybe even start one of his own. The thought made him blush softly. He knew that Irkens cloned, and making one that was genetically his and Zim's wouldn't be hard to create. But the idea of a but of small Irken children with raven hair running around their home was heart-warming, and only another thing to fight for. To fight for a future.

 

They had remained packed all the weeks they had stayed. Not out of disrespect, more out of the possible need for a hasty escape. This made getting ready to leave a much shorter job. Dennis and Brian loaded up the pod as Zim and Dib were out in the front yard, sitting in the grass and looking up at the sky, Dib's head resting on Zim's chest. 

"Did it ever intimidate you?" Zim asked Dib. "Space, I mean."

"...No," He admitted. "I wasn't afraid of what I didn't know as a child, and when I started getting afraid, I felt like I knew space."

"Were you wrong?"

"To an extent, yes. I always knew that space was just something that people were too underdeveloped to understand, and I was right about that. But I thought that all aliens were out to get us."

"You don't have much proof to support that being an incorrect statement."

"Yes I do," Dib said, looking up at his mate. "You are all the proof I need. the only thing this war has taught me is that all alien species are exactly like the humans, in the sense that everyone is different, and no one is entirely good or bad." Zim smiled and kissed the top of his head.

"I love you, Dib-stink."

"I love you too, alien boy." 

"Hey lovebirds, we're ready to go," Dennis called from the landing pad. The two got up, saying their final goodbyes to their family.

"Be safe, Dib-Dab," Gaz murmured into Dib's coat.

"Will do, Gazza. Call me if you need anything." She nodded and they pulled back. Membrane hugged Dib, kissing the top of his head.

"Goodluck, son," Membrane said. "You will do an amazing job." Dib smiled as he looked up at Membrane.

"Thank you, Dad." Zim awkwardly stood back and began to walked back to the pod.

"Hey, Alien dude, where do you think you're going?" Gaz asked. He looked over, a little surprised.

"I didn't-"

"Get over here, Son," Membrane said, motioning for him to get into the hug. Zim walked over tentatively, and Gaz hugged him first.

"Don't think this means anything," She grumbled. "I'll still burn you slowly if you hurt my brother."

"Yes ma'am," He said, smiling a little as they pulled away. Membrane hugged him briefly. 

"Stay safe, good luck... and keep an eye on him for me, will you?"

"Dad-"

"Will do, Sir." Dib rolled his eyes and they pulled back. The two took each other's hands, and walked back to the pod. The door closed as they buckled in, Gaz and Membrane waving goodbye as Nya began to fly off. Dib looked out the window as they quickly went back into the depths of space.

 

 

Two months later, Brian ran back into the ship and found Ferran, now half-way through eight months pregnant. He walked over and hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground. Ferran hugged back, kissing his cheeks and lips. Nya still walked slowly as she made her way over to Charlie, melting into their arms and burying her face into the crook of their neck. Dennis ran past them all, through the halls and into the medical ward, where Eliza stood, looking over a few forms. She looked up and put them down immediately, Dennis wrapping his arms around Eliza's waist and pulling her close as she wrapped her arms around his neck, and they met in a kiss. Dib and Zim went to their room, laying down on the bed. Dib groaned, feeling a few joints in his back crack. Zim cuddled into his side, exhausted. They fell asleep before either could speak a word.

In the middle of the night, Ferran woke, feeling hot and uncomfortable. The sheets were damp. Gross...  _Wait a second._ _The sheets were damp._ A sharp pain came from her mouth and she hissed in pain, shaking Brian awake in a panicked hurry.

"Ferran...?" He hummed looking up at her.

"Brian," She said in an anxious whisper. "The baby's coming."


End file.
